Warriors: Rise of the Clans: Scarlet Monsoon
by UKEagleclaw
Summary: The 1st book in my 7th series of Warriors, following on from Dawn of the Clans & Moth Flight's Vision. A couple of seasons have passed since Moth Flight and her fellow medicine cats made their vows to StarClan, and the Clans are thriving. But, after countless moons of peace, tensions are escalating, and the beginning of leaf-fall will be the start of further problems for the Clans.
1. Allegiances

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
ALLEGIANCES**

 **WINDCLAN  
LEADER:  
**WINDSTAR – wiry brown she-cat with yellow eyes  
 **MEDICINE CAT:  
** MOTH FLIGHT – white she-cat with green eyes **  
** **OTHER CATS:  
** GORSE FUR – thin, gray tabby tom  
DUST MUZZLE – gray tabby tom with amber eyes  
SLATE – thick-furred gray she-cat with one ear tip missing  
WHITE TAIL – dark gray tom with white patches and amber eyes  
SILVER STRIPE – pale gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
BLACK EAR – black-and-white patched tom with amber eyes  
SPOTTED FUR – golden-brown tom with amber eyes and a dappled coat  
SWIFT MINNOW – gray-and-white she-cat  
REED TAIL – silver tabby tom with a knowledge of herbs  
JAGGED PEAK – small gray tabby tom with blue eyes  
HOLLY – black she-cat with prickly, bushy fur  
STORM PELT – mottled gray tom with blue eyes and thick, bushy tail  
DEW NOSE – brown splotchy tabby she-cat with white tips on nose and tail, yellow eyes  
EAGLE FEATHER – brown tom with yellow eyes, broad shoulders, and striped tail  
FERN LEAF – heavily scarred black she-cat with green eyes  
 **KITS:  
** HEATHER BREEZE – light brown tabby she-cat with white splotches  
STONE GAZE – bold gray tabby tom with white markings and underbelly

 **SKYCLAN  
LEADER:  
**SKYSTAR – light gray tom with blue eyes  
 **MEDICINE CAT:  
** ACORN FUR – chestnut brown she-cat  
 **OTHER CATS:  
** STAR FLOWER – golden she-cat with green eyes  
DEW PETAL – silver-and-white she-cat  
FLOWER FOOT – she-cat with tan stripes  
SPARROW FUR – tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes  
QUICK WATER – gray-and-white she-cat  
BIRCH – ginger tom with white circles of fur around his eyes  
BLOSSOM – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes  
RED CLAW – reddish brown tom  
HONEY PELT – striped yellow tom with green eyes  
 **KITS:  
** FOX CLAW – brown-and-tortoiseshell tom-kit  
NETTLE SPIKE – fluffy gray-and-white tom-kit  
ALDER LEAF – brown-and-white tom-kit  
MISTY POOL – petite ginger-and-white she-kit

 **THUNDERCLAN  
LEADER:  
**THUNDERSTAR – orange tom with big white paws  
 **MEDICINE CAT:  
** CLOUD SPOTS – long-furred black tom with white ears, white chest, and two white paws  
 **OTHER CATS:  
** VIOLET DAWN – sleek dark she-cat with bits of black around her ears and paws  
LIGHTNING TAIL – black tom with a broad head and shoulders  
OWL EYES – gray tom with amber eyes  
LEAF – black-and-white tom with amber eyes  
MILKWEED – splotchy ginger-and-black she-cat with scar on muzzle  
CLOVER – ginger-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes  
THISTLE – ginger tom with green eyes  
APPLE BLOSSOM – orange-and-white she-cat  
SNAIL SHELL – dappled gray tom  
HAZEL BURROW – black-and-white tom  
SHIVERING ROSE – fluffy black she-cat  
MORNING FIRE – dark brown she-cat  
BLUE WHISKER – white-and-yellow she-cat with translucent blue whiskers  
 **KITS:**  
OAK SHADE – orange-and-black tom-kit with two white paws and golden eyes

 **RIVERCLAN  
LEADER:  
**RIVERSTAR – long-furred silver tom with amber eyes  
 **MEDICINE CAT:  
** DAPPLE PELT – delicate tortoiseshell she-cat with golden eyes **  
** **OTHER CATS:**  
SHATTERED ICE – gray-and-white tom with green eyes  
NIGHT – black she-cat  
DEW – gray she-cat  
DAWN MIST – orange-and-white she-cat with green eyes  
MOSS TAIL – dark brown tom with golden eyes  
DRIZZLE – gray-and-white she-cat with pale blue eyes  
PINE NEEDLE – black tom with yellow eyes  
SPIDER PAW – short-furred white tom with green eyes and an extra toe  
 **KITS:  
** TROUT PELT – slick light gray she-kit  
OTTER DIVE – dark brown tom-kit with small white patches  
FROG SPRING – orange, white-and-brown she-kit

 **SHADOWCLAN  
LEADER:  
**SHADOWSTAR – black, thick-furred she-cat with green eyes  
 **MEDICINE CAT:  
** PEBBLE HEART – dark gray tabby tom with white mark on his chest and amber eyes  
 **OTHER CATS:  
** SUN SHADOW – black tom with amber eyes  
JUNIPER BRANCH – long-furred tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes  
RAVEN PELT – black tom with yellow eyes  
MOUSE EAR – big tabby tom with unusually small ears  
MUD PAWS – pale brown tom with four black paws  
DANGLING LEAF – black tom with an orange tail  
DUSK NOSE – black-and-orange tortoiseshell she-cat  
SHADE PELT – dappled brown tom  
BUBBLING STREAM – short-furred white she-cat with yellow splotches  
 **KITS:**  
MARSH FOOT – thick-furred black-and-dark brown tom-kit  
BRIGHT PATCH – black she-kit with knots of white fur


	2. Prologue

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
PROLOGUE**

 _Four great, tall-rising oaks sheltered the_ ever peaceful clearing. Contrasting variations of thick undergrowth rested on the clearing's edges. The great oaks looked older than the stars themselves as they diligently protected the ancient gathering place. In the centre, a noble rock jutted out; its jagged edges highlighting its longevity. Delicate, brittle fronds of brown and green scratched against it. Above the clearing and the great oaks, penetrating, glowing starlight shone through the lush canopies. Sublime shades of gold and silver sparkled from the grass.

A tom's dark gray silhouette stood to one side of the great rock. Head bowed; he was still in mediation. Stiffening in concentration, the tom's dark gray frame froze in close thought, and his eyes remained closed in focus. Exhaling outwards, golden eyes blinked open. Ears flicked, as he heard the gentle scuffling of sheathed paws against the soft turf. Another cat had entered the wide hollow, briefly shattering the dark gray tom's serenity.

The newcomer gracefully swept towards him, her tortoiseshell pelt was covered in radiant starlight. It made her orange and black splotches seem insignificant, when compared to her underlying white pelt. "Here you are," the newcomer's warming purr made the dark gray tom twist his body, leaving his tranquil mediation. "I've been looking for you," at her loving purr, the dark gray tom leaned into her embrace, tails twinning. Passionate green and golden eyes lovingly met each other. Now, the newcomer's soothing meow continued briskly, "I don't know why you worry about them all so much." The dark gray tom's mouth opened as to reply, but the she-cat's kind lecture continued, "They're all safe now. WindClan have bolstered their ranks on greenleaf's warm offerings; RiverClan are well-fed and sleek on their plentiful bounty of fish; ThunderClan are sheltered and secure under expansive trees and deep undergrowth; ShadowClan have been warmed by the northern breeze; even SkyClan can name more kits than the rest of the Clans." The she-cat's stumped tail fluttered from side to side. "Life is good for the Clans. I can't remember the last time there was a disagreement or fight." Her gaze clouded briefly. "Apart from the greencough that broke out in some of the Clans last leafbare, they haven't been troubled for many moons."

"It's just _so_ much has happened since we left the mountains, Turtle Tail." The dark gray tom's ears twitched worryingly. "Death, torment, and misery still haunt the Clans. Sometimes, I ask myself if the Clans will _ever_ be free of all this destruction and heartbreak."

Unsure of how to respond, the lithe tortoiseshell she-cat leaned slightly forward. "Gray Wing," she whispered slowly, "do you wish you'd stayed in the mountains?"

"No, no. It isn't that. I'm glad we left. I've never regretted leaving. My life was happier than I had ever imagined, and I shared every heartbeat with cats I would trust with my life. It's _just_ …"

"Go on," Turtle Tail urged gently.

"I didn't follow the sun trail just so that countless cats would die. Sure everyone's happy in StarClan, but it isn't the same−" He paused, unsure on whether or not to admit his fears.

"What else?"

Turtle Tail's encouraging tone persuaded him to share his worry with her. "Something is coming." His golden eyes flashed ominously. "Something dark. I'm sure of it. There will be new, fresh dangers for the Clans to overcome." Gray Wing sighed, flicking his tail in frustration. "It's like an _endless_ cycle, isn't it? Death, death, and more death," he spat angrily. Then, composing himself he went on. "I'm not sure when it will end," he admitted, lowering his head. "I wonder if we will ever be truly free."

"You're getting too worried about them for your own good, Gray Wing," a commandingly meow entered from the clearing's side, interrupting the two cats. "You helped made the Clans what they are, and they won't falter."

Gray Wing's golden eyes were glazed with worry. "I hope you're right, Half Moon, for every Clan's sake."

"Like you, I fear the incoming darkness that will rival the problems the Clans have already faced," Half Moon reconsidered. "But I have complete trust in the Clans to prevent its rise," she meowed confidently. "There's a reason we gave each Clan's leader nine lives."

"But are their ranks strong and structured enough, what if the leaders or medicine cats fail?" Gray Wing's dark gray pelt rippled uncomfortably. "They seem to be the only ones holding the Clans together," he murmured softly.

Before Half Moon could respond, there was a crunch of breaking undergrowth. "Do you doubt their abilities?" The three cats' heads instantly snapped toward the new source of noise. Claws plucked patches of mud out of the ground. The vibrant starlight revealed, a slender jet-black tom padding into the grassy green clearing. His dark blue eyes were narrowed in indignation and his tail lashed in brief spells of anger from side to side.

Gray Wing's golden eyes betrayed haunt as he stared at the jet-black tom. "Moon Shadow-"

A light growl interrupted Gray Wing's words, "Do you doubt the abilities of my sister? Shadowstar is more than able to fend off any rival cats. The other Clans may have grown soft on quiet moons, but ShadowClan certainly hasn't. Shadowstar and her cats are strong and fearless." Moon Shadow's jet-black fur was beginning to bristle, and his unsheathed claws were glinting in the starlight. "ShadowClan will challenge our rivals with fangs and claws. That's our strength."

The pure white she-cat, Half Moon, stepped toward the disgruntled jet-black tom. "Claws aren't the only solution. Words can be just as powerful."  
"Yeah, right," Moon Shadow mocked. "If I remember correctly, words didn't help when Skystar and Gray Wing drew blood." With a regretful, sorrowful sigh, he added, "Words didn't save the cats who died." He lowered his gaze at his unsheathed paw. "We must prepare our Clans for any potential dangers they may face."

Abruptly Turtle Tail spoke up, her meow echoing into the starlight above, absorbed by the great oaks' thick green leaves, "Fighting never solves anything. Persuasion and words have a greater effect."

Moon Shadow's hackles were beginning to raise. "No way! I think those moons as a kittypet must have softened you, Turtle Tail."

Turtle Tail seemed absolutely furious. To the extent that Gray Wing stretched out his tail in front of her muzzle to ensure she didn't leap towards the angry jet-black tom.

Realising how offensive his comment was, Moon Shadow looked back guiltily. "Sorry," he meowed bluntly, "but my earlier point still stands. The Clans need to be strong and fierce to survive. Not accepting strays from beyond their borders. Only outright loyalty will help the Clans survive." Moon Shadow had calmed down now, his fur settling back down. "Borders have to be defended by fangs and claws."

Turtle Tail looked satisfied with his apology, as she flattened down clumps of fur with rhythmic licks. Gray Wing sat beside her, offering a silent whisper into her ear. Their fur brushed into eachother's merging into a fusion of differing colours.

"I agree partly with you, Moon Shadow," stated Half Moon, "however, the Clans can't always fight to solve their problems. Some of the time, wise words can be used to settle a situation before it can escalate any further."

Moon Shadow hesitated. But then, lifting his tail high into the air, he boldly declared, "It is time we finally tell the cats we chose many moons ago about their destiny. So that we can tell and advise them on the dangers to come." As he started to hurry briskly away, he told the three cats, "Immediately, I will head to ShadowClan so that I can warn-"

"No." Half Moon swiftly bounded towards him, her green eyes glaring submissively at his. "At least not yet, anyway. We cannot afford for them to become distracted by their destiny until we are sure the time is right," the former Stoneteller concluded.

"I agree with Half Moon," Gray Wing meowed. "It would be unfair to burden the chosen cats with the knowledge we already know."

"Same here," agreed Turtle Tail from alongside Gray Wing.

Moon Shadow glared rebelliously at both Half Moon and Gray Wing. Heartbeats thumped and flowed before the argumentative jet-black tom hissed, "Fine. But only for now."

Gray Wing, Turtle Tail, and Half Moon exchanged glances of surprise: this was unlike the Moon Shadow they knew. "We shall discuss this some more in the future," Moon Shadow stated.

As the jet-black tom exited the serene shelter of the four great oaks, he could feel the eyes of Gray Wing, Turtle Tail, and Half Moon scorching his fur. He felt furious at the three cats. _Why do they decide what happens to ShadowClan? They're all too busy worrying about the other weak Clans! Well, I vow to make sure that ShadowClan survives!_ pledged Moon Shadow.

Knowing what he had to do, he spun on his paws, turning into the surrounding border of thick undergrowth, which led to tall pine trees and wet marshland. Underfoot, moist mud squeezed into the gaps between Moon Shadow's paws. From a dense thicket, a large toad hopped out but Moon Shadow was in a rush. Quickly, padding deeper into StarClan's ShadowClan territory, he ensured that he avoided any other StarClan warriors. Moon Shadow couldn't risk them telling anyone of Gray Wing, Turtle Tail, or Half Moon. He had make sure that pesky StarClan cats couldn't ruin ShadowClan's chances of survival. The other StarClan cats cower, waiting for the darkness to sweep them off their paws, but Moon Shadow wasn't like that and nor was ShadowClan. They would be a shining light and fight the darkness fangs and claws first.

Thinking so heavily, he hadn't realised that he had arrived; a slender jet-black tom with amber eyes slept blissfully at Moon Shadow's paws, his flank rising and falling in harmony. At that moment, Moon Shadow felt regretful he had to burden the tom he cared so much about with a devastating warning. _It is for the good of ShadowClan and all the Clans that I am doing this. Even if Gray Wing, Turtle Tail, and Half Moon fear the danger and darkness; one Clan must set an example to the rest._ Determination lit like an ever glowing flame through his pelt, making his fur stand on end. _This will be for every cat's benefit,_ he reminded himself. For the Clans, he dubiously stretched out a sheathed jet-black paw, carefully prodding ShadowClan's chosen cat awake.

* * *

My FanFic follow-up to Dawn of the Clans is here. Overall, I'm very happy with it. The PoV interestingly enough changed from an omnipresent styled perspective to Moon Shadow's I felt that went brilliantly as well. Good word length for a prologue, and I hoped I wrote the four featured cats as accurately as possible, which I was a bit worried about since I don't remember that much about personalities in DotC apart from the main character. Although, I looked up Moon Shadow, and it seemed as though he was more argumentative. I hope the later contrast of Moon Shadow's emotions will be clear once the next chapter is revealed. Feel free to speculate and guess who ShadowClan's chosen cat will be. I don't think it'll be that difficult to guess. :P Please feel free to drop me any ratings or pm etc. They are always appreciated. :D


	3. Chapter 1

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 1**

 _Cool night air relaxed Sun Shadow's_ pelt, and a warm wind ruffled his fur. He padded calmly through the pines and marshland that belonged to ShadowClan. Nose up, breathing in through his nostrils, he let the familiar scents wash over him. These musty pine scents had erased nearly all his memories of the mountains. Trying to remember, Sun Shadow presumed that the snowy peaks had smelt of snow, frost, and ice. _At least it isn't so windy here,_ he joked to himself. Mud and pine needles rubbed against his pads, as he continued to trot confidently through the shadowy forest. Sun Shadow was no longer a mountain cat; he was a ShadowClan cat.

Despite knowing he had found his true home, he began thinking of the mountains, which stirred back old memories. Stopping underneath low-lying shrubbery, he sat down and relaxed out his pelt. And soon enough, his mind was filled with memories of the Tribe. Following Stoneteller's encouragement, he had left the Tribe of Rushing Water, leaving his mother, Dewy Leaf and her three young kits, Falling Dusk, Morning Star, and Melting Ice. With a pain of regret, he could still picture his mother's tortoiseshell pelt wrapped lovingly around them. The thought of the kits made him realised how much older they'd be by now; numerous moons had passed since he'd left the Tribe. Sun Shadow hoped that Dewy Leaf and his half-siblings were happy and she hadn't been too disheartened when she found out he had left. Perfect memories were shattered as he pictured Sharp Hail's ice-blue eyes glaring furiously at him. He'd never gotten along with the mean dark gray tom who had seemingly replaced his father. Perhaps his grief for never knowing his father had made his displeasure for Sharp Hail grow. But any sympathy for Sharp Hail disappeared with his next memory, regretfully he remembered Sharp Hail cuffing him with a paw around his ear when he was just a young cat, barely out of kithood. Glancing at his unsheathed sharp claws, he boasted, _I'd like to see him try that now._ Even though he had never seen eye to eye with Dewy Leaf's second mate, for his mother's sake, he hoped that they were happy.

Sun Shadow knew that he had been an adventurous tom and that sparked his interest to leave the cave. Straightaway, before he'd even left the cave's confines, he was joined by Quiet Rain. Both cats set off with a purpose; Sun Shadow wanting to find the father he never knew, and Quiet Rain wanting to reconnect with her three sons Clear Sky, Gray Wing, and Jagged Peak. Remembering the harsh journey, he recounted the toll it took on Quiet Rain. But eventually through wavering conditions, twolegs, kittypets, rogues, predators, and thunderpaths, they had made it. Plucking at a group of pine needles in front of him, a regretful sigh escaped his mouth, _his father should have been alive._ Grief returned as Sun Shadow wondered if they shared the same jet-black coat or the same amber eyes. The journey had failed; Quiet Rain also suffered, Jagged Peak had become limp, and her other two sons Clear Sky and Gray Wing had grown apart, hostility etched between them. More grief swamped over Sun Shadow, she had died soon after, exhausted from the journey. At that time, he had never felt so lonely, Moon Shadow was dead, and the sharp she-cat he had grown to admire and trust had joined them. Initially, only Tall Shadow was warming and welcoming to him at first. Eventually though, he worked hard to gain the other cats trust. Soon after, he fitted right in. Every ShadowClan cat felt like kin to him now, and he couldn't remembering anything else that felt better.

Resuming the hunt, he pushed himself up onto his paws. The warm scent of frog was in the air. Licking his lips, he prowled forward, tail off the ground. A fat frog hopped ahead of him, unaware of his advance. Blending into the shadows of the night, he stealthily stalked toward it until he was three cat-lengths away. _I can almost taste it!_ he thought victoriously. Waggling his haunches, he pounced.

Suddenly a paw jabbed his side, forcing him to blink. His claws immediately unsheathed as he stared furiously at the jet-black that had forced him from his dream, following it up to the cat's head. Dark blue eyes shone down at him. Blinking sleep warily from his eyes, Sun Shadow meowed, "Do you enjoy waking cats from nice dreams or is it just your thing?" Licking his lips, he added, "I was just about to catch the juicest frog." The cat's well-muscled body reminded him of Shadowstar. For some reason it relaxed him. Tipping his head to one side, his tone became more serious. "Do I know you from somewhere?" he paused, searching for the right words, he murmured, "You seem very familiar."

The intruder's dark blue eyes shone with amusement. "I should seem familiar. After all, I am your father."

He felt his eyes widen, pulsing with shock. "Woah, you're really Moon Shadow aren't you?"

Nodding, Moon Shadow confirmed. "Yes, of course."

"But how? Does Shadowstar know that you're _still_ alive?" Sun Shadow struggled to believe his father had survived. Countless cats had mentioned that his father had perished due to burns suffered from a great fire, which had damaged some of the forest beyond the thunderpath. He looked his father up and down, taking in his appearance; it reminded him of his own. Like himself and Shadowstar, Moon Shadow had a bold jet-black pelt, and a similar frame and shape to what he had seen from himself in the reflections of puddles and from Shadowstar's. From examining his father's appearance, he realised that his burns had vanished, _surely they would have left scars?_ Curiosity returned, doubt flicking in his mind, fearing he already knew the answer. "How did your scars heal?"

Moon Shadow stared calmly back. "You already know the answer."

"But I was just dreaming." Fear set in, making his fur bush out. "This _must_ be real," he mewed desperately. "It _has_ to be…"

"I'm sorry." Moon Shadow brushed his muzzle against his son's. Sun Shadow made sure to breath in his father's scent; he wanted to make sure he would never forget it. "This is _only_ a dream," Moon Shadow murmured sympathetically. His father's words stung him like a wasp, ending the hope he'd had just moments ago. Grief clouded Moon Shadow's gaze. "I wished I had been alive to welcome you to the pines. You must have felt so alone with all these strange cats." He lashed his tail, sighing, "If it wasn't for that fire."

Sun Shadow felt his heart being torn in half. Raw grief swept into the scars from before, when he had found out his father's fate, but he was surprised with how strong and controlled his meow was, "It's okay. It wasn't your fault. Besides, I've got Shadowstar."

"But it isn't the same. You left Dewy Leaf so you could find me and I wasn't here," Moon Shadow replied, raising his head and looking into the stars. "I wished I had known you when I was alive."

"I do, too." Sun Shadow found himself resisting tears. "But it's done now, we can't do anything about it." Regaining his composure, he meowed fiercely, "We must look to the future."

Moon Shadow's gaze transformed into admiration. "When did my son grow so wise?" he murmured.

He licked a tuft of his jet-black shoulder fur, feeling proud and uncomfortable at the same time of his father's praise. Grooming his pelt, he realised how his dishevelled appearance must have appeared to his father. In between fast licks, he meowed, "Oh, I'm sure Shadowstar had something to do with that."

Sun Shadow sat muzzle to muzzle in front of his father. Their slender jet-black bodies seemed identical. The only difference was the colour of their eyes and that Sun Shadow was slightly taller. "No," Moon Shadow hissed. "You have grown into a wise, strong, independent cat all by yourself. Sure Shadowstar may have helped, but she and I both know your value to ShadowClan." Moon Shadow's dark blue eyes blossomed with new meaning as he continued on, "I didn't want to burden you with this unless it was absolutely necessary. But I must tell you so that you can help protect ShadowClan." His eyes and posture grew more serious. "Testing times are coming for the Clans." The older jet-black tom paused, appearing unsure of whether or to continue.

Sun Shadow felt stunned at meeting his father. He seemed even less steady than before. But now that his father had started, he may as well know what he's talking about. Flicking his tail toward his father's jet-black flank, he reassured him, "Continue, father. I'd rather know."

Moon Shadow shifted his paws nervously. "My brave son, a darkness is heading for the Clans, stronger than anything they have faced in their short lifespan. It could overwhelm them, threatening to undo each Clan's work so far. To stop the darkness, ShadowClan must be a shining light, an example to all the other Clans." Sun Shadow felt faintly surprised as some of his father's fur, rising in anger, bristled. "StarClan knows that ShadowClan will be the strongest Clan. That is why we have chosen it as the leading Clan to prevent the darkness. And you, my son, will pay an important part in stopping the darkness."

Sun Shadow felt himself wavering as his vision ebbed away. "Wait!" he cried, mouth hanging open. "Please! Where are you going? When will I see you again? Please tell me more! How can I stop the darkness?"

Moon Shadow's deep meow reached out to him as his vision turned black, "Don't worry, Sun Shadow. I'll _always_ be with you, and I'll visit you soon."

Bright greenleaf sunshine warmed his pelt as his eyes opened. Blinding sunlight made him blink. There was a gap in his den's roof again. But that wasn't the only reason he had returned to the waking world. A mighty thick-furred jet-black she-cat stood over him. "You were twitching in your sleep, so I thought it would be better to wake you," she meowed. Concerned green eyes watched him warmly. "Are you alright?"

Immediately he felt very guilty. Should he tell her about meeting Moon Shadow in his dreams? _Although, I can't even believe they're real myself. And if they are real, I can't worry her about the darkness,_ he doubted. _I can't believe I went from hunting a frog to meeting my father. She'll probably think I'm imaging him or still grieving. Besides, I want the dream to be real, I don't want someone telling me they're fake._ "Yes, I'm fine," he murmured, yawning. "I was just about to catch the juicest frog."

Telling he was still tired, Shadowstar judged. "I'll let you sleep for a bit longer." She gently flicked his ear with her tail and headed out of his den into the sun soaked clearing.

Sun Shadow wasn't sure why he felt so tired. He came to the conclusion that it was a mixture of the fresh grief of his father's death as well as his constant dreaming. A hopeful thought stirred in his mind as his eyes closed shut, drifting him off into harmonious sleep. _Maybe, just maybe, I'll see Moon Shadow again._

 **Author's Notes:  
** Again I'm happy with this chapter. Probably could have been a bit longer, but I didn't want to overstay my welcome, so to say, in some parts. This was done yesterday, I just needed to do an edit on it so that's why it was out a lot quicker than anything else I've done before. ;P Who guessed that it was Sun Shadow? From my viewpoint, I'd say it was pretty obvious, especially if you can remember the Dawn of the Clans' characters. I enjoyed writing as Sun Shadow, again I hoped I made him similar to the books, although, he was probably a bit more... flamboyant in this. In all fairness, he just met his long lost father so… And I hoped Sun Shadow's reaction and not telling Shadowstar worked well as well as Moon Shadow softening about telling his son when faced with actually doing it. Chapter 2 will be in a new PoV, feel free to guess away and give me any other thoughts on this chapters. Thanks, peeps. :D  
 **\- UKEagleclaw -**


	4. Chapter 2

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 2**

 _Beautiful pink buds blossomed from purple_ and yellow heather. They were illuminated by the sun's bright beams. Since the sun was at its highest point, it cast hot sunlight over the ground below. In the distant forest, a bird's cry shook through the trees, sending a flock high into the cloudless blue sky. Light breezes drifted over the uproar of crashing waves from the gorge's direction.

Specks of hair rose on Silver Stripe's pale gray tabby fur at the thought of falling into the thunderous, roaring water. Silver Stripe's relaxed mood was shattered. Imagining she was close to the gorge again, a memory triggered from numerous moons ago. She remembered clearly being so close to the gorge's edge that she had nearly toppled in. If she had taken just a couple more pawsteps, she may have plunged over the edge into the endless colliding waves. Silver Stripe trembled. Some of the sandy cliff face had spilled over the side. The sight of seeing the combination of sand, rocks, and pebbles disintegrate amongst the rapid river, made her vow never to go close to the gorge again. Occasional nightmares still haunted Silver Stripe's thoughts and dreams. The young she-cat instantly knew she'd never forget nearly hurling into the gorge for the rest of her life.

Afterward and back in camp, Slate had rushed up to her, wrapping her tail, comfortingly, around her flank. In her mother's loving embrace, Slate told her that she didn't want her to leave like Gray Wing did. This once again brought back sad and wishful memories of the wise dark gray tom's death. Silver Stripe stretched her muzzle up toward the bright blue sky. Being on outlook rock, made her feel closer to StarClan and Gray Wing than anywhere else. It almost felt like she could feel her father's golden eyes safeguarding her from above. The stars weren't visible, but she felt comforted with knowing that Gray Wing would be looking down on them from StarClan, waiting for their arrival. She would often find herself wondering, what would things be like if Gray Wing was still alive? Silver Stripe always reached the same conclusion that she hoped Gray Wing was proud of his family.

The sharpening breeze and the gorgeous view broke her thinking, but it reminded her that greenleaf was nearing its end. Her tail quivered as she pictured leaf-fall; the green moor would grow paler in colour, and the leaves on nearby trees would turn into shrilling mixtures of orange and brown, eventually, crusting to the floor. Fourtrees would be covered in them, letting frosty starlight preside over the Clans from the dark night sky. However bad leaf-fall was, Silver Stripe knew leaf-bare was even worse. It was the season that every cat hated, regardless of birth. The ground would harden with frost and the sun's warmth would plummet. Prey became scrawny and difficult to find with cats catching horrid diseases. With a further shudder, she remembered WindClan's last leafbare. It had enabled greencough to trespass into the hearts of the Clans. Rocky, the beloved and ancient WindClan elder, had died after a destructive bout of greencough. WindClan's kind medicine cat, Moth Flight, had tasked her with finding him some catnip from a twoleg nest. But her hurry was in vain, even the catnip couldn't stop Rocky's death. Fortunately for the Clans, the best efforts of the medicine cats saved more cats from dying. Every Clan cat realised how important the medicine cats had become.

All the Clans had been brought closer together by the struggles of leafbare, tightened by their grief. There hadn't been any conflicts between the Clans for as long as Silver Stripe could remember. But the dispute between WindClan and SkyClan entered her mind. Countless moons ago, Willow Tail, her former Clanmate, had deceived Windstar and the WindClan cats into thinking that SkyClan had been stealing their prey. It made her fur stand on end that a once trusted Clanmate could turn against them so easily. In the midst of the battle, Red Claw of SkyClan had revealed Willow Tail's lies, leading Skystar to kill her in an act of revenge. After Willow Tail was proven to be lying about SkyClan's prey thefts, Skystar and Windstar had agreed to remain peaceful. Every cat was surprised that Skystar had kept his promise, remaining peaceful for many seasons. Silver Stripe was just happy that the Clans were enjoying a long period of overdue peace. _Why should the Clans ever fight? Instead we can focus more on hunting and other threats than watching our borders._

Other than the disturbing crashing of waves, Silver Stripe dozed peacefully, on top of outlook rock, admiring the richness and lushness of WindClan's green moorland territory. Outlook rock was being heated by the sun's shining light, and she let its warmth sweep all through her fur. The WindClan she-cat was warmer and comfier than ever before as she stretched out her hind legs, yawning as she did so. Sunhigh was luxuriously settled above her, and Silver Stripe gladly let its boiling hot rays and wisps of sparkling sunshine heat her fur until she felt drowsy with sleep. Settling her head onto her front paws, she watched the relaxing clear blue sky that stretched out all around her. A yawn split her muzzle, and she let herself sway into soft gentle sleep.

A rolling stone and a tom's gruff meow disrupted Silver Stripe's peaceful siesta. "Be quiet, White Tail. The point of this is for her _not_ to hear us." One of the most familiar meows in Silver Stripe's life awoke her from her sleep. Blinking sleep from her eyes, she didn't move a muscle, allowing her brothers to creep closer.

WindClan cats weren't known for their stalking abilities, and Silver Stripe's siblings proved that as they lumbered like big badgers toward her. _This is too easy,_ she thought gleefully. _Just like when we were kits._

She waited, willing her brothers on, letting the light breeze brush their scents over her until she could hear their movements more clearly. There was the slightest prick in one of her ears as her littermates grew ever closer. Silver Stripe knew she'd have to judge it perfectly for her plan to succeed. Soon they'd be in range to ponce.

There was a loud thump as, suddenly, one of them sprang toward her. But Silver Stripe was too quick for her littermate, she quickly rose onto her paws, snaking away from her littermate's reach. The sound of knocking limbs clattered behind her.

"Oof."

Whipping her head around to see her brothers, White Tail and Black Ear, she laughed in amusement. On the sun-baked rock, their limbs were tangled in a messy bundle of black, gray, and white fur. Dust, dirt, and sand filled the air around them. Plus their paws, tails, fur, and heads were sticking out at awkward angles. The two littermates carefully untangled themselves from one another with skilful movements. Rising to their paws, they stared angrily at each other.

"This is all your fault!" Black Ear challenged, tail lashing in annoyance.

Another laugh escaped her mouth as White Tail sulked, in between licking areas of his fur. "No, I told you this wasn't a good idea. I said it was a bad plan, and she'd easily hear us. It's not my fault."

"Well, you still agreed to it. If you hadn't made such a racket, she wouldn't have heard us!"

"If you hadn't meowed so loudly to me she would have stayed awake!"

"It still isn't my fault!" huffed Black Ear. "If you'd listened properly when I taught you how to stalk, we would have been fine!"

"That's because you didn't know how to stalk in the first place!"

"I do, too!"

"Do not!"

"I do!"

"Do not!"

Silver Stripe rolled her eyes at their bickering. Despite White Tail's more quiet nature, he still got riled up arguing with Black Ear. Constantly they would argue, but she knew they were the best of friends, and they would quickly make up. Soon enough, another argument would be created. It was like an endless cycle.

As her brothers began to glare at each other, Silver Stripe decided to step in. "Both of you shut it," she joked. "You're both hare-brains." Immediately the eyes of her brothers glared toward her, seemingly remembering that she was there, but she continued unfazed, as she padded toward them, "White Tail, your tail brushed against the stones. I was able to hear it roll."

She noticed Black Ear give White Tail a triumphant look, enjoying his victory. Silver Stripe purred at his foolishly boastfulness, "And Black Ear, your paws were stomping against the ground like a fox in a fit." Their victorious glares gone, they both looked at her, confused. _They obviously both didn't think they did much wrong,_ she found herself grinning. "You're both as bad as each other," she meowed affectionately, cuffing Black Ear playfully around one of his black ears that he'd been named for.

Black Ear stared back at her, his amber eyes showing mock anger. "How dare you?" he hissed playfully, waggling his haunches. "I'm not going to let some filthy rogue get away with insulting a WindClan cat like that."

Already guessing that Black Ear would leap earlier than expected, White Tail nimbly sidestepped out of the way as Black Ear barrelled himself into Silver Stripe. Not having time to dodge, she was knocked off her paws by her brother's slightly larger and stronger frame. Black Ear stood over her, looking pleased with himself. His whiskers twitched, as he snarled softly, "Tell me, who's the fox in a fit, now?"

Silver Stripe's blue eyes shone back in defiance. "You," she cried, "you're the fox in a fit."

The edges of Black Ear's black-and-white patched fur were brightened by the sunlight as he leaned over her, softly pinning her down. "Being the most generous and bravest WindClan there is. I shall give you one more chance to tell me, who's the fox in a fit?" he questioned, his amber eyes glowing like moonlight.

"Mmm…" she said aloud, stalling for time. Silver Stripe knew that Black Ear would have something planned, and she was failing to figure out a way to escape Black Ear's grip. "I can't think of anyone but you."

Baring his jaw open, and showing his white teeth, Black Ear playfully growled, "Well, looks like you've given me no other choice, Silver Stripe." The confidence and triumph resurfaced on Black Ear's features. "You must face your punishment."

Grinning back at him, and unsubdued by her brother's mischievous threat, she chirped, "Nothing can be worse than your fox-breath."

"I'm afraid I did warn you," Black Ear meowed, looking pleased to be in control. "White Tail get the fox-dung." The black-and-white tom grinned victoriously back, his tail flicking toward their other brother. "We'll see who the fox-breath is now."

"You're bluffing," she responded. Her littermates often pulled pranks but nothing had been this bad.

"Am I?" Black Ear responded casually, puffing out his chest. "Looks like you're in for a big shock."

A deep cough exited her lungs, as a sharp and horrid scent swept over her senses. _Oh no! I can't believe they've actually got some!_ Dread washed through her fur, making her feel hot and bothered, she didn't want to smell like fox for moons! "Ehh, I'm the fox in a fit," she reconsidered, hoping that her brothers would listen.

"It's too late now," chuckled Black Ear, purring happily. "You've got to pay for challenging me. Besides, this is payback for you putting those berries in our nests."

"Oh, fox-dung! That's why," she exclaimed, thinking back. "But wasn't that payback for something else?" she questioned. The littermates had played countless pranks on each other that Silver Stripe could barely remember most of them.

Black Ear confirmed her lack of memory. "Meh, I don't remember." He smiled sarcastically back. "White Tail, could you please do the honours."

Silver Stripe's rounded eyes darted toward her approaching brother. "Don't do it, White Tail," she desperately pleaded. She felt sure that White Tail was being pressured into this by his more dominating brother. "I promise both of you that I'll stop pranking you." Nearing pawsteps told her that White Tail rejected her feeble offer. Still Black Ear locked her down with his forepaws. A further horrid stench reached over her. She tried to close off her nostrils as hard as possible but the disgusting scent still broke through her senses. It had to be the most hideous smell ever. "Please, don't do it!" Silver Stripe began to lash out her paws, gasping, "And I'll wash your nests for a moon!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm with Black Ear on this one."

Determination to foil her brothers' plot motivated Silver Stripe. _Looks like there's only one way out of this._ As she felt Black Ear begin to scramble out of the way, worried about getting the fox dung on his glossy black-and-white patched fur, she readied herself, flexing her muscles. As the stomach-churning scent bore down on her, she sprang up with all her might. Using her paws to lash out in all directions, she felt her flaying paws strike hard limbs. Black Ear and White Tail were unbalanced, falling to the floor beside her.

She saw the stick they'd used to pick up the fox dung, flying high through the air toward the edge of the clearing. Just before it was about to land, there was a nearby rustle in the heather. The stick flopped carelessly to the ground, staining the rock with a vile black-brown mess, narrowly missing two startled cats that were forced to spring back.

Black Ear shifted his paws uncomfortably against the dusty rock, and White Tail whispered to him, "We're in deep fox-dung now."

Silver Stripe hadn't realised who the two cats were but the warm moor scents that she'd known all her life hit her strongly. _They're right. This isn't good one bit. We'll be stuck in camp like kits for moons for this!_ Silver Stripe gulped. It was Windstar and Slate.

"It's a very good thing that missed," the wiry brown she-cat growled, "for your sakes."

Slate filed out from behind Windstar, disappointment clear in her eyes. "You're all too old to be playing around like kits," she scolded. "I thought I'd raised my kits better than this. Hurling dung around," sighing Slate added, "what would Gray Wing think of you?"

"We're all _so_ sorry," Black Ear told them, eyes round.

White Tail nervously glanced back at his leader's intimidating glare as well as the discouraging look of Slate. "I'm sorry as well," he apologised.

Silver Stripe felt angry that Slate had brought Gray Wing's name into this. Her anger soon passed, and she realised that Gray Wing would have expected better of them. He would of taught them that they needed to show respect to the Clan's leader and their mother. "Sorry."

The two older cats seemed satisfied with their responses, but Black Ear suddenly continued boldly. "We were _just_ having fun. We didn't know that you two would show up. Otherwise, we would have stopped−"

Slate's stern look and Windstar's narrowing yellow eyes halted him the confident black-and-white tom in his tracks. "That is beside the point!" To Silver Stripe's horror, the fearsome leader's fur was spiking up. "You three should have been hunting, what about your Clanmates? Should they be expected to do all the work?"

Shame flooded through her pale gray tabby pelt, she should have been hunting for her Clan instead of dozing on the outlook rock. Glancing to her side, she saw White Tail looked similarly ashamed. Black Ear was staring back at Windstar, he looked a lot less confident after being faced with a furious Windstar, but he replied softly, "We only stopped hunting for a bit. Anyway it's still greenleaf. And it's late in the day. Why can't we take some time to have fun and enjoy ourselves?"

She was shocked that Black Ear had further challenged the Clan's leader. Windstar also seemed very agitated at Black Ear's continued response, her eyes were narrowed in slits. "You still should have been hunting!" she snapped.

Seeing Slate's eyes widen in more disapproval, Black Ear realised that he'd been out of line talking to Windstar like that. Head bowed, the young black-and-white tom mewed, "I'm sorry, Windstar. I really am. I do care about our Clanmates."

Windstar and Slate both seemed content with their apologies. _That was far too close. Next time Black Ear better not be so hot-headed._ Surprisingly Windstar's eyes turned to the littermates in concern. "I understand that you want to have fun but your Clanmates must come first. Make sure something like this doesn't happen again. If you want to go off by yourselves, at least make sure you've checked with me that it's okay not to be hunting." The leader's whiskers quivered in amusement. "You're all very lucky that didn't come any closer. If it had, you three would have got a lot worse than a warning."

The three siblings bowed their heads in union to their leader, mewing, "Thanks, Windstar." Gazing upward Silver Stripe noticed Slate's eyes filling with affectionate and proudness.

Windstar and Slate turned back, entering the heather, leaving the littermates to themselves. Black Ear looked at his siblings. "Thank StarClan that didn't go any worse."

"Yeah, I can't believe we only got off with a warning," quietly agreed White Tail.

"We're just lucky that−" Before Silver Stripe could finish speaking, suddenly, a fresh vicious wind startled Silver Stripe, flicking her fur up and sending shivers down her flanks. She had to dig her claws into small footholds to prevent her being erased by the wind's powerful current. Likewise Black Ear and White Tail looked flustered; their fur was jolting out, and their whiskers quivered.

Powerful gashes of thunder erupted in the sky, turning it black. Silver Stripe felt her fur being forced in all directions by the powerful winds, making her shiver violently. Pink buds were trapped in the strong wind, as the heather shook. Dark clouds covered the sun, blocking out the sunlight, and drenching the moor in a dim shade of black. _How could the weather change this quickly?_

She turned to her startled brothers. "Let's go before this wind gets any−"

A loud caterwaul sounded in the near distance. Despite the thunder, it was still loud enough to hear. Shivers raced through Silver Stripe's spine. She was sure she heard pure anguish and sorrow in the cry. _Hopefully it wasn't as bad as it sounded,_ she begged, praying to StarClan.

White Tail's cry snapped her into reality. "What was that?" The quiet tom's amber eyes were widening in terror and patches of white stood worryingly on end. White Tail had always been a little jumpy and nervous. Silver Stripe knew White Tail could get startled just by the rustle of leaves or the call of a cockerel at sunrise, however, this time she shared his fear.

Shaking her fur, she attempted to reassure him and herself. "I'm sure it's nothing. Just the wind. Let's just get back to camp." Silver Stripe quickly turned into the swerving heather with White Tail following softly behind. When she realised that Black Ear wasn't following, she twisted her head toward him. "Come on, Black Ear."

Suddenly she realised he hadn't said anything since the weather picked up; this was unlike Black Ear. The black-and-white tom was staring at the pitch-black skies, lurching at the centre of outlook rock, but Silver Stripe's call broke his trance. Stunned at seeing Black Ear look more scared than she'd ever seen him, she bounded toward him. Now that she was closer, she saw Black Ear return her look with blank haunted amber eyes. The playfulness had evaporated just as quickly as when the darkness had arrived. Being able to look at him more closely, she could see how ruffled and alarmed Black Ear was; it made the young black-and-white tom look twice his age. _Even White Tail hadn't looked this bad,_ she thought in dismay. _I've got to make them focus._ A new thought sprang into her mind. Worryingly she realised that Black Ear might have had the same fear about the cry that she did.

"Okay," Black Ear gave her a dejected shallow nod, shaking himself, he lumbered into the twisting heather.

Heather brushed against their flanks as the three littermates started to head back toward camp through the swaying, wind-swept environment. Crushed strings of heather and grass clashed against their paws as they struggled through, forcing themselves onward, against the onslaught of endless wind. Their ears were struck by the wind's untamed tempest. _I can't believe it was so sunny,_ Silver Stripe thought bleakly.

The loud shrilling cry returned, closer than before, sending birds screeching, and hurling into the gloomy sky. It made the three cats jump with shock; they were very close.

"We're near it," murmured White Tail, agreeing with her own thinking.

"Yes," Silver Stripe agreed. "It may be a cat in trouble," determination filled her limbs, "we must go help."

They looked at Black Ear, who still looked shaken by the thunderous storm. They briefly awaited a response from the, normally, leading littermate. She thought that Black Ear lurched to his side slightly, seeing their eyes waiting for his response. But, despite his dishevelled demeanour, Black Ear's amber eyes glowed with strength and bravery. "Yes, let's hurry," he commanded as loudly as he could against the gusting wind.

Silver Stripe felt relieved that Black Ear had regained his composure. But soon it was replaced by nervousness, as she realised for a moment her normally confident and headstrong brother had lost his usual composure and willpower. Something she'd never witnessed before. Had the wind and the cat's cry really startled Black Ear that much? Was he that shaken in a crisis?

They hurried toward where they believed the cry had originated from, picking up a fast pace as the wind began to slow. Silver Stripe led and Black Ear bringing up the rear. Zigzagging through the devastated heather patches, they neared the source of the cry.

Breaking through crushed heather, she clutched her unsheathing paws into the ground, bringing her to a speeding halt. A sharp sickening smell washed over her, threatening to overwhelm her. Shook emptied over her, fear-scents washed over the clearing, and clumps of fur lay all across the clearing. There was so much for her to take in. What had done such a thing? The clearing was destroyed in a concoction of staining blood.

In her ear, she heard her brothers reach a stop behind her. Silver Stripe thought she could hear White Tail shake like a leaf in the wind. Black Ear pressed against him, and told them, "We better find out who it is."

Silver Stripe stepped aside, feeling relieved that Black Ear took the lead. The smell of fresh blood was stronger as they reached a rounded boulder that jutted from the ground. To its side, a small overhanging tree stood. There were more carelessly scattered pieces of gray, black, and white fur littered around the boulder. Some larger clumps of fur were dotted around, covered in fresh red blood. She gasped in horror as they spotted a cat's disfigured limp body. Fresh, boiling blood was welling up all around the cat's pelt and the cat was unrecognisable by scent and sight. There were two hunched figures beside the body. Through their shock, Silver Stripe or her littermates hadn't realised that Windstar's and Slate's scents hung in the clearing. She suddenly felt relieved that nothing appeared to have happened to them.

As she cautiously edged closer to the body looked badly battered; streaks of fur were replaced with staining blood and deep crisscrossing cuts were clawed violently across the cat's body. There were no rising motion to the flanks, confirming her thoughts. She was sure that no medicine cat could have saved this cat. Silver Stripe was revolted by the horrible sight. What could have done such a thing? Surely a cat wouldn't be able to do something like this to another?

"No, no, no. Not more death," Silver Stripe heard Windstar rasp. "No one's died in _so_ many moons."

Slate's thick-furred gray tail gently flicked Windstar's flank. "He's gone."

Despite her limbs feeling exhausted and her paws shaking, she trembled closer toward the body. Windstar and Slate looked up at them, realising they were there. Astonished and trouble looks looked upon them. Now she understood why Black Ear had had that haunted look.

"You shouldn't have seen this," Slate soothed, standing up and blocking her kits view of the corpse.

Black Ear stared weakly back at his mother. "Who−" he hesitated, unsure. "Who is it?"

Slate glanced back at Windstar, looking for confirmation. "Should we tell them?"

"They'll have to find out eventually," Windstar sighed, getting to her paws. "They may as well know now, and it's best you tell them than anyone else."

Silver Stripe thought that she'd be knocked off her paws. Shock pulsed through her pelt, threatening to break her balance. She couldn't believe how it had all changed so quickly. Just a while ago, they'd been playing like kits, joking around without a care, and enjoying the warmth of greenleaf. Now she knew that greenleaf had ended. Coldness had replaced warmth as it flooded through her veins.

White Tail's nervous, tremoring mew echoed in her ear, "I know who this is−"

"I'll tell you." Slate interrupted him as soon as she could, covering White Tail's mouth with her thick-furred gray tail. She gave them one last comforting look, pausing for a couple of fast heartbeats. Blinking softly, she revealed the cat's name. "It's Jagged Peak."

 **Author's Notes:  
** Firstly, I will apologise for not updating since the 21st March, but I think this action packed chapter more than makes up for it. We've got a new PoV, beautiful views and nice weather, dozing, play fighting, bad and stormy weather, and a bloody death. Poor Jagged Peak. Ooh, and I better not forget Windstar _so_ very tempted to make it connect. :P

So in all seriousness, I was very happy with the introduction of Gray Wing's kits and thought it came across well and developed the characters of the trio. I'm considering adding another PoV now to the 3 already selected, but I don't want to have too many, but it's still possible. I'll have to make up my unsure mind soon, though. ;P Feel free to give me your thoughts on the trio. Their character traits may be different from the books but that is because I need to make them stand out more and etc.

Okay onto Jagged Peak, which is probably the major talking point here. I've already killed off kinda of a major, if not minor, character from DotC. I've done that because, to be quite frank I didn't feel much toward him, and I wanted a cat to immediately be killed off who was fairly important to legitimise the threat to WindClan. WindClan are also the largest Clan so there's that as well. This was originally going to be the first chapter before I added Sun Shadow's PoV so it was planned to immediately get some action into the story. In fact, I don't ever remember Warriors starting off with some cat dying within the first few chapters. Let's say he was guided to StarClan by… Quiet Rain and Fluttering Bird. Of course, they are his mother and sister. So goodbye and farewell, Jagged Peak. Although, the joys of Warriors is that StarClan can implement him in probably more of a major role than before so we'll see what happens there.

Anyways, I don't think there's much else to be said, and I don't want to bore you anymore with this super long chapter (my longest ever!). Feel free to give me so juicy 'ole feedback & look forward to some reaction from the WindClan cats. Cheers for reading, peeps! :D  
 **-UKEagleclaw-**


	5. Chapter 3

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 3**

 _The eyes of Silver Stripe, Black_ Ear, and White Tail were wide in shock and grief. They stared blankly at Slate still not quite believing what had happened. Numbness filled Silver Stripe's limbs, how could Jagged Peak be dead? The kind tom's body had been unrecognisable but the clumps of scattered fur definitely belonged to him. But after finding out the body's name, Silver Stripe realised she could easily see the similarities in the body's appearance. Its small and lithe frame and compact but powerful muscles seemed eerily similar to Jagged Peak. She remembered shared patrols and how he'd played with her and her littermates when they were younger. This led to the shrilling cry sounding again in her thoughts, paralysing her with shameful grief. _I still can't help thinking, what if we had been quicker._

Raising her head, Silver Stripe saw Jagged Peak's dark blood stained on the tiny tufts of grass. They stuck out of the moorland like dangerous barbed claws. Patches of ripped gray fur were randomly left across the clearing. The older tom must have been gruesomely twisted and torn to shreds among the broken heather. She'd always been told that the heather was meant to protect and provide for WindClan, but now it seem as though it was helping to destroy them. She found it impossible to imagine the thing that had caused this. Yet again, Jagged Peak's desperate cry echoed through her mind.

Attempting to clear her puzzled thoughts, she lifted her muzzle up at the sky. Surprisingly, the weather had calmed, bringing with it splotches of darkening blue sky that emerged from dark gray clouds. Wind no longer lashed in their faces. It was instead breezing softly through their fur as it had done previously. Light discs of sunlight pooled in the clearing, highlighting the destruction around Jagged Peak's body. Branches had fallen from the low hanging tree, and brittle strands of long grass, at the clearing's edge, were bent over and split around their centres.

"Black Ear." Their mother, Slate, meowed to Black Ear. Slate stood over them, concern brewing in her eyes. "Are you alright?"

 _There must be something wrong with Black Ear, if Slate's focusing on him._ Had her brother really gotten over the alarm of Jagged Peak's death?

"I'm fine," replied Black Ear bluntly. Although, his round eyes suggested differently. Then, Black Ear asked the question that she'd been wondering but was too afraid to ask. "How did he die?"

Slate's caring eyes examined Black Ear up and down. "We're not sure," she murmured, pausing. Slate was conflicted on whether or not to burden her kit with such disturbing knowledge.

"Please," begged Black Ear. The young black-and-white tom looked up pleadingly at Slate, hoping for a further explanation.

After a couple of heartbeats, Slate nodded and continued with her account. "We aren't entirely sure. The strong winds must have got rid of the scents," darker shades spread across her eyes and face, "and it's impossible to tell from all the bloodied cuts and missing tufts of fur from Jagged Peak's body."

"Okay," Black Ear whispered, glancing into the distance. Black Ear's will to find out more had clearly wavered. Silver Stripe wasn't sure what was worse: Jagged Peak's death or the unknown threat that would be rampaging through WindClan's territory.

Slate pointed her thick-furred gray tail toward the edge of the ravaged clearing, where many thick sprouts of long grass broke upward. There was room for cats to lie within. "You three can rest in there until Windstar returns with cats to return Jagged Peak's body to camp. I'll tell you when we've got to leave." Their mother's eyes were glossed with sympathy. "Its best you rest until they come back. I'll keep watch over the clearing."

The three siblings nodded, relieved at being able to rest and escape their worries. Silver Stripe eagerly led the way, bounding toward the long yellowy grass stalks. More slowly, White Tail followed. Behind him, Black Ear's tail scrapped against the ground. As she pulled back some of the stalks with a paw, she realised there was a small dip in the ground. There seemed to be room for all three of them.

Her pricking ears reminded her that her littermates were following. "It might be a bit of a tight squeeze," she called over her shoulder.

"Doesn't matter," Black Ear muttered.

Trying to ignore her concern for Black Ear, Silver Stripe ventured into the sprouts' centre. It immediately provided her with a strong sense of security; the yellowy grass stalks formed a thick wall that would be hard for any cat to breach without waking them. Suppressing a yawn, she quickly wrapped herself into a tight shape, allowing Black Ear and White Tail to follow her in. The brothers sat themselves down next to her. Relishing their warmth, Silver Stripe allowed her eyelids to drift shut. Breaths growing shallower, she lulled herself to sleep.

"Silver Stripe, wake up."

Forcing herself to open her eyes, she stretched, arching her back and flashing her claws in alarm. Black Ear stood on his haunches. When seeing her brother, Silver Stripe sheathed her claws. He looked calm, but she still felt nervous over his sudden change in confidence that occurred when the storm had hit and at finding Jagged Peak's dead body. Forcing her worries about her brother to the back of her mind, she rose to her paws. As she stretched, she could see through the long grasses' sheltering safety; there was a cluster of cats gathered outside in the clearing near Jagged Peak's body.

"White Tail's outside," Black Ear told her bluntly. "Slate told me that they're ready to bring him back to camp."

She nodded in response. The mention of a vigil made her look upward. The sky was darkening, like it had previously, but this time the sky was repeating its endless cycle between day and night. It was natural, but what happened to Jagged Peak wasn't. The immediate weather change had been unexpected, causing an uneasy knot to form in her stomach. It felt as though it was only the beginning. Air sleek with moisture left her feeling more worried than she'd ever felt before.

Her brother brushed her side as they waited just outside the long yellowy grass stalks. White Tail was already waiting, and they sat on either side of him. Once again, their fur was heated by each other's body warmth. For a brief moment, Silver Stripe's sense of nervousness vanished. The memory of snuggling close to her littermates back in camp replaced it. She could picture Slate wrapped comfortingly around them, and Gray Wing's golden eyes proudly watching over them.

Movement of differing patterns of fur alerted her senses. Cats moved around Jagged Peak's body. Wind Runner was ensuring that they would be able to lift Jagged Peak without dropping him. Gorse Fur's gray frame lifted Jagged Peak's limp body up onto his shoulders and Eagle Feather's broad shouldered helped to carry the former mountain cat's ravaged features. Behind them, a dazzling white pelt padded alongside, delicately, examining Jagged Peak's body. Soon enough, the two WindClan cats headed into the heather, escaping from Silver Stripe's view. At the clearing's opposite edge, Dust Muzzle and Spotted Fur had their noses pointed to the ground, attempting to pick up any scents, but from their annoyed expressions, she assumed they had been unsuccessful in their pursuit.

Slate had been padding toward them. "Time to go," she meowed to her kits, trying to stay cheerful. But Silver Stripe could sense that her mother was as stunned by Jagged Peak's death as the rest of them were.

Windstar called to Dust Muzzle and Spotted Fur to abandon their pointless search, and they gathered in a small group. "Don't tell anyone anything until I've told Holly and called a meeting. Is that understood?"

"Yes," every cat murmured apart from Windstar. Unlike before, the WindClan leader's eyes seemed locked in concentration. Windstar's meow had made Silver Stripe think of how it would affect Holly and their kits, but Silver Stripe felt reassured, knowing that Windstar would stop at nothing to avenge her brave Clanmate's death.

Windstar flicked her tail. "Okay, let's go," she instructed, trotting out of the blood stained clearing.

The patrol headed into heather; it dripped with rainwater that reflected the lowering sunset. Dust Muzzle and Spotted Fur closely trailed their leader. Slate was a few steps behind and kept glancing back at her kits. Silver Stripe was behind Slate whilst Black Ear and White Tail hung slightly behind and next to her flanks. It didn't take them long to catch up to Gorse Fur and Eagle Feather, who lumbered through the moor with Moth Flight alongside them.

Gorse Fur and Eagle Feather's outlines were darkening as they stumbled ahead of them, balancing Jagged Peak's body between their backs. Edges of fur instead were brightening in vibrant shades of orange and pink as the sun began to dip behind Highstones. Silver Stripe could spot the camp not too far away, however, the small descent toward camp was made slow by Gorse Fur and Eagle Feather's careful precautions. Just to be safe, Windstar ordered Dust Muzzle and Spotted Fur to their sides, to prevent Jagged Peak's body from falling off their backs.

Carefully and slowly they manoeuvred Jagged Peak's unrecognisable body through the camp's gorse coated entrance. Shocked gasps filled the patrol's ears as their Clanmates responded to the gruesome body being carried into camp.

"Who's that?" a tom-kit's high-pitched voice tremored.

Silver Stripe saw Swift Minnow move in front of the tom-kit, blocking his view with her gray-and-white tail. Whispering something to him, she then led him away from the horrific sight. All the patrol members had recovered from the shock of seeing Jagged Peak's torn body up close, but she increasingly worried to know that her Clanmates seemed unable to recognise Jagged Peak through the body's grizzled and parched appearance. _Was Jagged Peak really that unrecognisable that not even his own Clan could identify him?_ Silver Stripe thought darkly.

The patrol was eventually surrounded on all sides by their Clanmates, as they wondered who the cat was. They all failed to see Jagged Peak among his disfigurements; it was as though Jagged Peak was disguised as another cat entirely. Silver Stripe wanted to scream who it was but the words wouldn't leave her mouth, and she didn't want to go against Windstar's orders. _Perhaps Windstar knew they wouldn't realise._ The gathering WindClan cats could only see a blood stained, fur torn, twisted body that was coated with deep crisscrossing scars. Reaching the camp's centre, Gorse Fur and Eagle Feather gently deposited Jagged Peak's scarred body on the lightly sanded ground.

There was silence for some heartbeats. Cats were unsure what to ask, and how could they respond to the seemingly random disturbing looking body that had been brought into camp.

Suddenly, a high-pitched cry sounded from the camp's entrance, filling Silver Stripe with sadness, "Jagged Peak?" She didn't have to turn to realise who it was. The voice and urgent pattering of rushing paws told the whole story.

Windstar padded next to Holly, calmly meowing, "We found him like this after the storm."

As though her leader was invisible, Holly's face was haunted with grief, the prickly-furred black she-cat stumbled shakily toward Jagged Peak's dishevelled breathless body, burying her nose into a patch of gray fur that was still just about staying on. "How?" Silver Stripe heard her murmur. "Why?" Her sobbing cries grew louder and more frantic, twisting Silver Stripe's heart, "What about our kits?" The grieving queen continued to murmur, lowering her voice to hushed whispering.

This made Silver Stripe look toward Eagle Feather, who been carrying his father's body. _How could I forget that Eagle Feather was Jagged Peak's son! I can't imagine what he must be feeling._ Similar to earlier, a fresh wave of despair washed over her almost knocking her off her paws. Although, she stood tall. _Jagged Peak's family must be going through a lot worse than I am,_ she admitted, glancing sideways at Black Ear and White Tail.

Eagle Feather was sitting a couple of tail-lengths away from his father's body. Gorse Fur had remained next to him, his tail lightly placed on the younger tom's back. Looking back toward Holly, Silver Stripe realised that Storm Pelt and Dew Nose were hunched over beside their mother.

Every cat seemed overcome with grief, but cats began to gather around the grieving cats, offering them their own sympathies. Every cat's head was bowed in sorrow; Jagged Peak had been a popular cat, and his blood still ran through the Clan.

Deafening grieving silence settled over the Clan. Broken only by the light swaying of grass, small scatterings of falling rainwater, and Holly's quiet murmurings.

A small she-kit's mew shattered the silence, "Mama, who's that?" Heather Tuft's light brown tabby markings were being darkened in the rising moonlight, but her tiny white splotches shone like rays of innocent light.

No one knew how to respond. It seemed that Silver Stripe's Clanmates were waiting for Holly to comfort her kit but grief had frozen her, and she kept on murmuring; muzzle entrenched in Jagged Peak's blood-stained clumps of fur.

Windstar stepped forward, yellow eyes darkening. "It's your father, Jagged Peak," the leader told the young kit as softly as she could.

"You're wrong!" Heather Tuft mewed. "I saw him earlier." The she-kit charged toward Jagged Peak's unmoving body.

Silver Stripe could feel her brothers stiffen beside her, and she feared she would become overwhelmed by the gaping heartache that had emerged over WindClan.

Stone Gaze, Heather Tuft's brother, had bounded after his sister. Before their eyes had shone with enthusiasm and playfulness but terrible fear now coated their eyes. In the moonlight, Silver Stripe noticed how Stone Gaze had a similar gray tabby pelt to his father. It invoked memories of Jagged Peak from a few sunrises ago, he'd given badger rides to his youngest kits and let them swat his tail with outreaching tiny claws. Silver Stripe remembered their joyous squeaks of delight. They had been so innocent. Oblivious to the harsh reality of the world. Everything had changed for the kits, how would they cope? _I can barely remember Gray Wing. They're older than I was. They'll remember him better, will that haunt them more?_ She wanted to offer support, but she didn't know how. She was still shocked from the whole situation and how fast everything had changed. _Last sunrise felt so long ago._

Sadness filled Silver Stripe's chest. The heart-breaking scene developed as Heather Tuft and Stone Gaze darted up to their father's gruesome body. Paws frozen to the ground, she stared on, praying that someone would pull them back. Someone had to protect them from witnessing Jagged Peak's horrific appearance. But no one did. Heartbeats slowed. The two young kits stood open-jawed. Eyes gaping at the back of their father's deformed fur-patched body. They were able to see stripped skin close up, and the bubbling of constant fresh blood from deep cuts.

"That can't be Jagged Peak," cried Stone Gaze, fur rising in fright. "It just can't!"

"It's really ugly," chirped Heather Tuft, eyes scared. "Jagged Peak doesn't look like that. Maybe it isn't−" the young she-kit's mew trailed off into a cry.

Out of the corner in her eye, Silver Stripe spotted Moth Flight heading toward the grieving cats. The experienced WindClan medicine cat ploughed through the gathered cats with a determined look. "Swift Minnow, Reed Tail, take the kits to my den."

The two cats were sat, fur touching and heads lowered, but their heads rose, listening to Moth Flight's order, they walked swiftly toward the kits. The fatherless kits had tears streaming down their faces as they were picked up by their scruffs. They tried feebly to escape their jaws, innocently mewing in the process.

Moth Flight had reached Holly, gently prodding Jagged Peak's grieving mate with a sympathising but urgent paw. "Your kits need you," Moth Flight cautiously urged.

Holly's muzzle snapped up toward Moth Flight. "But what about Jagged Peak? I can't leave him." The queen trembled, face covered in grief.

"We'll stay be his side," Storm Pelt meowed to his mother. On Holly's other side, Dew Nose nodded, agreeing with her brother.

"You can come back as soon as the kits are settled," Moth Flight instructed. Holly still looked unsure until Moth Flight meowed, "They'll need to feed. Plus, you need to reassure them after they received such a huge shock."

"Okay." Holly nodded, appearing more composed. She followed on swaying paws after Moth Flight but she turned surprisingly toward Windstar. "Tell me, who did this?" she demanded. "I swear I'll make them regret what they did to him," she added, spitting angrily.

"We're not sure," Windstar stated in a matter of fact tone. "There was nothing around the area that pointed out a suspect. The only real evidence we have are the claw marks on his body." Her gaze was now sweeping over all of her Clanmates. "But I vow to you all. I won't rest until Jagged Peak is avenged. He was a loyal and good-heartened cat," she unsheathed her claws, adding, "and whatever did this deserves to pay−"

"Wait," meowed a voice from the crowd of WindClan cats. Heads turned from Windstar to the source of the interruption. Fern Leaf, a heavily black she-cat, was venturing closer to Jagged Peak's body. The nearest gathered cats had been a couple of tail-lengths away. As Fern Leaf broke through the cluster of cats that were closet to Jagged Peak's body, Windstar glanced down at her; for once untroubled by the interruption. Getting ever closer, Fern Leaf quickly examined the body. "I thought so−" she murmured darkly. Unsure how to continue, she had paused.

"Spit it out," Windstar ordered, her tail lashing. "If you know something, you _must_ say."

Fern Leaf sighed, "These claw marks. They aren't a cat's." Fern Leaf shifted her paws against the sandy hollow's floor, taking a deep breath, she continued, unfazed, gazing around the hollow. "They're dog claws."

Loud gasps emptied throughout the clearing. Silver Stripe felt horrified, and she felt Black Ear twitch next to her, and White Tail breathed scared breaths.

 _"We're not safe!"_

"There's nothing we can do! Look what happened to Jagged Peak!"

"Will we have to leave the moors?"/em

Challenging meows rippled on until Windstar raised her tail from her slightly elevated mound. WindClan's leader open her jaws in a yowl, hackles rising, "Silence! Don't worry, WindClan, we know what we're facing now. Dogs are hare-brained creatures! It won't be long until we track them down and punish them for what they did. After the Gathering tomorrow, I'll start to organise patrols to track down the dogs. However, until we can find them, extra guards will have to be stationed at all times, patrols must have at least four cats in a group, and no cat is allowed to leave camp by themselves without my permission." Windstar flicked her tail, leaping from her spot, signalling the meeting's end.

Silver Stripe looked around to see reassured faces, but she still felt unsure and fearful of the dogs that had so far been undetected. She just hoped that the storm was the only reason they hadn't been scented and that they would be discovered as soon as possible.

Above the sky had turned black. The shinning bright moon and glowing stars were the only things that disputed this. For a brief moment, Silver Stripe was sure she spotted a near invisible shooting star. But she dismissed it, shaking her fur. Resting her head on her front paws, she lay down and waited for the start of Jagged Peak's vigil.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:  
** Very sorry for the long wait, 26 days by my calculations , but I hope it was worth the wait. I also hope the reactions broke your hearts. Not much else for me to say really, and I don't want to bore you with a long notes section. Massive thanks for reading  & any comments of any length are greatly appreciated etc. Btw, next chapter features a NEW POV! And for that reason let's hope I'll be more motivated to do it. I've already started a bit of it, so I'll keep my fingers crossed. And feel free to speculate who it'll be and what Clan. Cheers, guys.  
 **3,301 words / 7,604 words for Silver Stripe's PoV / 11,263 total**  
 **-UKEAGLECLAW-  
**  
 _ **Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out my more of my stuff DA UKEagleclaw**_


	6. Chapter 4

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 4**

 _Droplets of water struck Oak Shade's_ nose, making him jump back in surprise. Claws unsheathing in anger, he exclaimed, "Mouse-dung!"

The strong muscled orange tom chuckled lightly beside him, making Oak Shade snap toward him. "What's so funny?"

Oak Shade's father, Thunderstar, stared back at him, looking increasingly serious. "You need to learn to control your emotions better."

The orange-and-black tom-kit yowled, "I'm perfectly in control." Quickly sheathed his claws, he hoped that his father hadn't noticed.

A small rock rose from the ground, and he eagerly scuttled over to it. Curious, Oak Shade gave it a quick sniff before standing on top. Imaging he was making an announcement in front of the Clan, he puffed out his chest. "I'm going to become the best ThunderClan cat!" he boasted, his green eyes sparkling. "The best hunter and the best tracker and the best fighter and the best runner and the best patroller." _Is that everything?_ Satisfied, the tom-kit open his jaw, showing his tiny fangs. "Watch out! Here comes Oak Shade!"

"Are you quite done?" Thunderstar asked, tapping his tail against the ground.

Oak Shade opened his mouth to defend himself.

Thunderstar stopped him with a stern look. "I know this is your first time out of camp and you're excited but you need to listen to me. Otherwise, I can't teach you how to hunt or fight like a true ThunderClan cat."

Alarmed at Thunderstar threatening not to teach him anything, Oak Shade mewed as innocently as he could, "Don't worry, father. I'll be quiet now, and I'll concentrate, too!" Speedily, he hopped off the small rock. Landing onto grass that was fresh with dew, Oak Shade went to stand in front of his father, ready for instruction.

Thunderstar's big figure at least doubled his size. "What can you smell?" Questioning, amber eyes stared downward, awaiting a response.

Without reply, Oak Shade inhaled the smells of the forest, attempting to detect individual scents. Heartbeats rapidly passed, provoking him to fiddle his paws against the grass. It caused minuscule portions of dew to splash up. He tried and tried and tried to focus. But he was met with a barrage of contrasting scents, which he found impossible to divide. "Mmm…" he stammered, searching for an answer.

"You're doing it wrong. The heavy storm, from a sunrise ago, would have washed away most of the scents," Thunderstar coached. "Try pointing your head out more. Focus. Take a deep breath and inhale. Allow the scents to wash over you. Then just rely on your natural instincts," Thunderstar finished, watching Oak Shade with interest.

" _Focus_ ," Oak Shade mocked. "Well, I may as well give it a go," he muttered quietly under his breath.

Firstly, Oak Shade forced his eyes shut. Followed by pricking his ears, and then letting his whiskers twitch in the light gusts of wind that had penetrated the thick forest. Stood frozen, he tried not to fidget with his paws. He had to stay concentrated. The flood of scents lapped over him. Each one smelled wet with damp; it was still hard to detect any differences between each individual scent. Sniffing yet again, he prayed to StarClan that he wouldn't disappoint his father and leader.

Unexpectedly, a tangy scent dispersed itself against his senses. "Yes!" he mewed excitedly. "I can smell something! I'm going to go catch it!" Oak Shade couldn't wait to slice his claws into a piece of plump prey. He knew he would become ThunderClan's best hunter.

"Wait," Thunderstar beckoned him to sit still with his tail, lowering it toward the strips of rain-strewn grass. "Patience is the hunter's greatest skill. There are different approaches to hunting prey and you don't even know the hunter's crouch yet. Without that you will not catch anything."

"I've already been practising the hunter's crouch," Oak Shade bragged.

The tom-kit quickly lowered his body and straightened out his tail, letting it drift naturally in the wind. There was a patch of leaves nestled under a tree not too far away; they must have been shaken from their branches after last night's brutal storm.

Around dusk, the trees had rattled and shook under the sublime fury of the storm. There had been times when Oak Shade had feared that the trees on top of the ravine would collapse inward, crashing down on him and his Clanmates below. Focusing back on the present, Oak Shade measured up the patch of leaves. Legs already tensed, he sprang out.

But he didn't make it, landing short by a couple of whiskers. "Mouse-dung!" he howled in frustration.

"Not bad," Thunderstar remarked as he licked a front paw. The orange tom stood halfway across the small clearing. "But it was obvious that you would land short of the leaves. No kit of your age could have made that leap. Until your legs have grown to full size you'll have to accommodate your own power and weight into your hunting technique. Try it again from the same spot," Thunderstar told his son, instructing Oak Shade with a flick of his tail toward the original leap point. "And don't forget to check what direction the wind is heading. You have to be downwind. If not, you'll be scented and your prey will flee."

Oak Shade lifted himself up from the ground, shaking his fur, and padded back to the same spot. He readied to pounce again, but one of Thunderstar's massive white paws stopped him. "This time get closer by stalking."

Recounting all his father's advice, he focused, preparing. As lightly as he could, Oak Shade placed his paws down on the dewy grass, etching closer to the pile of leaves. When he was certain he was within pouncing range, he stopped. Then, muscles tensed and with all his power, he leaped.

Claws flashing, he landed on the pile of leaves, sending them in all directions. They fluttered and danced into the air, but Oak Shade reared up onto his hind legs and captured one between his front paws. With a victorious grin, he pinned it to the ground, ripping it to shreds with his sharp kit-sized claws.

Thunderstar's encroaching paws sounded behind him. "Did I do well?" he mewed, hoping for his father's approval.

A purr rippled through his father's throat, "Yes, well done. Do you want to start on _proper_ prey?"

Oak Shade felt his golden eyes light up with excitement. "Of course!"

"Follow me." Thunderstar beckoned. The mighty founding leader turned out of the small clearing and into ThunderClan's familiar dense undergrowth. Oak Shade raced behind his father, just about keeping up on stubby legs.

Due to Oak Shade's small size, the undergrowth flicked and pulled against his legs. Numerous times he had to rip off tendrils that wrapped around his limps. _This would be so much easier if I was older,_ he yowled in his head. Lashing his tail, Oak Shade continued to storm through the various amounts of deep shrubbery.

Their pace had been slow, however, they eventually reached an elderly looking oak. It stood nobly above the other trees that were enclosing it. The branches were wide and thick, blocking out patches of sunlight, as if grown over countless seasons. Some of its bark was peeling, revealing a softer underbelly. Its roots tore deep into the ground, preventing any chance of it falling. Oak Shade was certain that the storm hadn't shaken the legendary Ancient Oak one bit.

"This area is always a hotspot for prey," Thunderstar told him. "The Ancient Oak's acorns drop onto the forest's floor and squirrels can't help going after them. Mice nibble on the stalks of grass that lie against the Ancient Oak's roots. Birds occasionally pick worms around its base. It's ThunderClan's greatest food source, and we owe thanks to StarClan for its bountifulness." Thunderstar paused, turning his head toward Oak Shade. "Why do you think this is such a good area to hunt prey?"

The orange-and-black tom-kit scanned the area around the Ancient Oak. Small discs of sun shone through the Ancient Oak's protective canopy. On every side of the Ancient Oak, the grass was shorter than the undergrowth he'd seen so far. Bushes were dotted around the edges of the shorter grass clearing. Also, there wasn't as many twigs and other debris underneath the Ancient Oak than in other areas of the forest. But large branches littered the floor, shaken by last night's powerful storm.

Turning back to his father, he mewed cautiously, "Is it because there is undergrowth around the shorter grass, and it allows us to pounce out from the bushes?"

Thunderstar's eyes were filled with approval. "Yes, you're right. The best hunters use their environment to their advantage. If you are able to master and memorise our hunting grounds, you'll become a wiser and more experienced hunter." Thunderstar twisted his head sideways. "Time for you to test what you've learnt."

"Really? Are you sure?" Oak Shade wondered aloud.

"Are you−" meowed Thunderstar.

"No!" Oak Shade interrupted. He couldn't wait. Finally, he would get to taste the thrills of the hunt, which he had been so often told and teased about. No longer would he be held back in the nursery. His paws were already buzzing with intense excitement. "I've been waiting for this moment for moons!"

"I'll be following and watching you," Thunderstar replied. "You won't be able to scent me or see me. The prey around here has probably heard or scented us, so I'll let you choose where you want to go. There's a small stream in that direction, and thicker undergrowth over there." His orange tail waved in each direction so that Oak Shade knew exactly where to go, regardless of what way he chose.

Thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of each way, Oak Shade delayed his answer. "How much undergrowth is around the stream?" he enquired, wanting more detail before his final choice.

"Not much. There's some, but it gets smaller nearer to the water's edge."

"I'll go there," Oak Shade mewed. Remembering their journey to the Ancient Oak, he added, "The thicker undergrowth might impact the power I can apply to my pounce."

"You're learning." Thunderstar expressed with a cheerful smile.

Bubbling with pride, Oak Shade bounded toward the stream. Excited to catch his first ever piece of prey. Through the Ancient Oak's guarding branches, the last rays of greenleaf sun warmed his orange-and-black pelt. Disappearing from the Ancient Oak's circular clearing, Oak Shade entered the surrounding undergrowth. Initially, he found it difficult to move through some of the deeper areas, his smaller size, to Oak Shade's irritation, impacting him again.

Except with every pawstep, Oak Shade gained more experience and knowledge of his environment. Reactions sharpening, it allowed him to judge his paw steps better. No longer did he make as many mistakes. More and more confident, he started to move quicker through the undergrowth. The tendrils welcoming him as an ally, instead of an enemy. Oak Shade was positive he was starting to master at least one area of ThunderClan's hunting grounds.

Soon, the undergrowth started to thin out. Ears pricked, he could hear the light running of water. _That'll help block out any noises I make,_ he thought, feeling like he was a real hunter. A light breeze touched his pelt, making his fur stand on end. _This is much better than the dreams!_ Everything elevated his senses, and Oak Shade felt more active than ever before.

Reaching the modest slope that led to the stream's bank, Oak Shade on instinct let the nearby scents enter his nostrils. Tasty prey scent made his stomach rumble; he hadn't realised how hungry he was till now, overtaken by the thrill of being out of camp. This made him even more determined to catch his prey, and he started to slink from the undergrowth, glancing around with narrowing eyes.

At the water's edge was a scrawny looking water vole. Oak Shade could tell that it was focused on something else, as it picked up collected plants that had been assembled in a neat pile.

There was no wind, for it was stopped by the giant trees. Remembering his father's advice, he stalked carefully forward. Oak Shade kept flicking his attention to anything on the floor and the water vole. At one point, he nearly dropped a paw on a twig that would have snapped, alerting the water vole, but stopped it just in time. Supressing a sigh, Oak Shade quietly eased his paw to the ground, without touching the twig, and moved further forward. Extra careful to keep his tail off the forest floor, where it could flick against something that might warn the water vole.

The water vole's rounded frame and dark brown coat were now visible. Its long tail stretched out behind it as it continued to nibble plants underneath overarching pockets of browning reeds. Licking his lips, Oak Shade lowered his body. When he was definitely sure that the leap was makeable, he braced his muscles. Breathing in, then out, he sprang forwards. Paws outstretched, Oak Shade watched as the water vole squealed in pure terror as his paws enclosed it. In his haste, he had forgotten to unsheathe his claws. Would the water vole escape?

Desperate squeals rang out. Oak Shade used one paw to pin the water vole down, whilst he unsheathed his other front paw. Satisfaction coursed through Oak Shade, as his paws carved into the water vole's flesh, ending its hopeless cry. Blood pulsed against him as he ripped his claws out.

"The first of many," Oak Shade commentated to himself, looking at his bloodstained claws. "Watch out prey!"

A familiar scent entered Oak Shade's nose. "Well done," Thunderstar meowed. "You did well."

"You really were watching, then?" he cheekily replied, as he picked the water vole up by its slimy tail.

"It's time to go back to camp."

" _What?_ " Oak Shade gasped. _Unbelievable!_ He couldn't believe his own father was treating him like this. "But it isn't that late. It's barely past sunhigh! How can I become a better hunter, when I'm stuck in camp all the time? I need to practice more!"

"If you let me finish," Thunderstar commanded, silencing Oak Shade. "I'm surprised you haven't realised what today is, what shape was the moon last night?"

Thinking back to the night before, he was instantly filled with excitement. Through the storm's dark gray clouds, a Full Moon had been visible. Stunned, his water vole dropped from his opened mouth. "Does this mean I'm going to the Gathering?"

"I haven't been too impressed with some of your interruptions." Thunderstar eyed his son with discipline. Oak Shade was praying that his father would still let him go.

 _Thunderstar must let me go. I've waited so long._

"But I have been very pleased with your hunting abilities. And _when_ you find the heartbeats to focus, you show good judgement. You can still go, but you have to go back to camp to rest. Your first hunting lesson would have drained your energy, and it's a long journey to Fourtrees for a cat of your smaller size."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:  
** Woah, Chapter 4 out four days after the previous one that is very good for my standards. One month on from Chapter 2's release as well. I've already kinda wrote C5, as I wrote these two in succession, but I need to edit it desperately, as I got burnt out a bit writing it earlier today/yesterday. Tell me what you think of Oak Shade etc. Hope you enjoyed the father/son bonding sess. More about the ThunderClan and the rest in C5. Plus, I personally felt this was an improvement on C3, which I thought I repeated words quite a lot and etc. Any comments, regardless of size, are MASSIVELY appreciated. Thanks for reading! Goodnight, peeps.  
 **2,517 words / 2,517 words for Oak Shade's PoV / 13,780 total  
-UKEAGLECLAW-**

 _ **Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out more of my stuff on DeviantArt under UKEagleclaw**_


	7. Chapter 5

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 5**

 _Oak Shade eagerly slid down the_ steep path that led to ThunderClan's camp entrance. The trophy of his first ever hunt, a water vole, was tight between his jaw. Behind, Thunderstar followed more cautiously. Rocks cascaded down as Oak Shade's careless claws dislodged them, but Oak Shade wasn't thinking about that. He was thinking about the upcoming Gathering. His Clanmates had told him so much about it; he couldn't wait to see Fourtrees and see the strength of the other Clans for himself.

At the slope's bottom, the ground levelled out and a gorse tunnel formed the way into the Thunderclan's ravine camp. The rest of the camp was surrounded by sturdy brambles that were being used to keep out predators.

"Be more careful next time," Thunderstar urged, approaching his son from behind.

Oak Shade looked back, over his shoulder, to see deposits of rocks littered at the bottom of the slope. "Oops, sorry." Paws tingling with excitement, the lively tom breathed, "I'm just so excited. I can't wait!"

Thunderstar nodded, taking the lead into the gorse tunnel. Whilst the gorse tunnel meshed with Thunderstar's fur, stripping some small orange strands, Oak Shade's orange-and-black fur remained untarnished. For once, his smaller size worked in his favour.

Exiting the gorse tunnel, Oak Shade realised his father was waiting for him. "I'm going to ask Lightning Tail's advice on who else to take to the Gathering." Thunderstar's slim white-tipped tail was pointed toward a broad-shouldered green-eyed black tom. Lightning Tail was sat talking to Cloud Spots, ThunderClan's medicine cat, whose long-haired black pelt glossed under the sun's rays. "You may as well eat your water vole, and I'll tell you more about the Gathering after I've done talking to Lightning Tail."

"Okay."

"Good. I won't be long." Thunderstar padded over to Lightning Tail and Cloud Spots. Oak Shade noticed Cloud Spots twitch a white ear and give a respect nod to his Clan leader. _Someday, I'll be respected like that,_ Oak Shade vowed. Thunderstar did similar, settling down next to his Clanmates, and started to exchange words with the two senior cats. Their quiet voices meant Oak Shade couldn't hear what they were saying about the Gathering.

As he didn't want them to think he was eavesdropping, he headed toward an opposing area of camp. Patched sunlight lay on the ground. Dropping his water vole in front of him, he stretched out, allowing the sunlight to warm up his orange-and-black pelt.

Relaxed, he was just about to take a bite of his water vole until an annoying mew called out to him, "Did you _only_ catch a scrawny water vole?" Morning Fire teased. "I caught something _much_ bigger on my first hunt." The dark brown she-cat turned to Shivering Rose, her sister, and added. "Didn't I?"

"I caught more, though," Shivering Rose argued. "You only managed to catch one chaffinch, whilst I caught two mice."

"You're lying! That's a load of−"

Oak Shade rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to eat here. _So_ , why can't you two go and be irritating somewhere else?" he requested bluntly.

Morning Fire whipped around to face him. "Don't get involved, golden-kit! Just because Thunderstar's your father, doesn't mean you can order us around!" she hissed.

Rising to his paws, a sharp growl started from deep within Oak Shade. Straining his legs, he remembered how Morning Fire had always been a pain, mocking him and his family. And there had always been a neutral heavy dislike between them. "This _golden-kit_ will claw your ears off if you don't leave me alone!" He tried to meow as fiercely as he could, attempting to replicate his father's mighty roar, but it ended up being more high-pitched.

"Hey, look the kit that has only been out in the _big_ forest _once_ is making threats. I'm literally _so_ scared. I don't know what I will do," Morning Fire jabbed, "against his clumsy paws?"

Uncontrollable snarls erupted from his throat, "I'll show you! I'll batter you! You annoying piece of fox-dung!" There was no way for him to control himself. Red began to edge his vision. Oak Shade's muscles began to tense; he was about to pounce on his Clanmate.

Fortunately there was an intervening meow that stopped Oak Shade's impromptu pounce, "For once would you stop arguing." It was Morning Fire and Shivering Rose's brother, Hazel Burrow. The black-and-white young tom continued, "One of these days something bad is going to happen and you'll both regret it."

Oak Shade had always respected Hazel Burrow. The tom played with him when he was younger kit, and he considered him a friend. Unlike Morning Flower, he wouldn't continuously berate him. In fact, he was completely the opposite of his irritating sister.

"Never mind," Morning Fire growled, shrugging away with Shivering Rose following closely behind.

Oak Shade got back down onto the ground, and Hazel Burrow asked, "Do you mind if I sit beside you?"

"It's fine."

Placing a mouse next to his paws, Hazel Burrow settled down next to Oak Shade. Between mouthfuls Hazel Burrow mewed, "Morning Fire's such a mouse-brain, but she is my sister."

"Littermates, who needs them?" Oak Shade joked. "If all littermates are like Morning Fire, I'm glad I don't have any."

It took Thunderstar longer than expected to come back to him about the Gathering – Violet Dawn had returned from a hunting patrol with a decent mouthful of prey – and by that time Oak Shade had eaten his water vole and gulped down a freshly killed mouse that Hazel Burrow had caught before sunhigh.

Oak Shade listened to his father as the sun's beams continued to warm his fur. "And you've got to remember − no fighting at Gatherings. The full moon is a sacred time for the Clans."

Bored by his father's lecture, Oak Shade nodded in response. Instead he licked his lips, imagining hunting a bird as he heard tweeting in the distance.

"Now, you better get some sleep before moonhigh." Thunderstar finally finished.

Not wanting his father to revoke his invitation to the Gathering, Oak Shade headed toward his den. The camp was mainly empty with only Thunderstar, Cloud Spots, Milkweed, and Clover left. Hazel Burrow, Shivering Rose, Morning Flower, Lightning Tail, and Violet Dawn were amongst the cats that had gone back out. Oak Shade wanted to hunt as well, however, that desire was surpassed by his strong feeling of anticipation for the Gathering.

At times, when Oak Shade was making his way across the clearing, he had to dodge fallen tree branches and leaves. _I hope there's never another storm like that again,_ Oak Shade remembered. The brutal storm hadn't lasted long, but it had threatened to shake the forest to its roots with its vicious, swirling winds. Oak Shade made it to the other side of the camp and let out a small yawn. Nestled deep in the clump of ferns, he curled up and willed himself to sleep. For a long time he couldn't sleep, kept awake by exciting thoughts of the Gathering, but his tiredness from hunting and exploring the territory made him succumb to sleep.

Dim silver moonlight shone in Oak Shade's golden eyes as he blinked them open. He immediately got to his paws, worried that he had missed the Gathering.

"You're up," his mother's familiar sweet scent awaited him, "that's good. I was just about to wake you," Violet Dawn continued. "Thunderstar's nearly ready to go."

"Okay," Oak Shade replied.

Violet Dawn stretched forward. "Didn't I teach you how to groom yourself?" the sleek dark she-cat purred. "What will the other Clans think?"

Oak Shade leaned back from his mother. "I can do that myself." He twisted his neck, giving his shoulder fur an embarrassing lick. Curious, he asked, "Who else is going?"

"You've always been straight to the point." Violent Dawn grinned. "He's already announced it. The cats are,"

His eyes grew round with interest as he wondered, which of his Clanmates would be going as well? Oak Shade hoped that Morning Fire wasn't going.

"you, myself, and of course, Thunderstar and Cloud Spots. There's also Lightning Tail, Leaf, Milkweed, Clover, Apple Blossom, Snail Shell, and Hazel Burrow."

Oak Shade was extremely relieved that Morning Fire wasn't going, and in contrast, he felt overjoyed that Hazel Burrow was. _It's a shame I didn't wake up earlier,_ he mused, _her reaction would have been hilarious!_

"ThunderClan," their leader called, assembling the selected cats. "Time to go."

Violet Dawn and Oak Shade headed toward the grouped cats. It looked as though every selected cat was already assembled. He noticed Morning Fire looking over enviously at the gathered cats. _Serves that buzzard-brain right,_ he reasoned. Morning Fire glared fiercely at Oak Shade, as they waited for Thunderstar's order to leave.

"Is everyone here?" Thunderstar asked Lightning Tail. The black tom had been weaving between the cats that had been chosen to go.

Lightning Tail's broad frame turned to Thunderstar. "Yes," he quickly responded. "The guards have been set up around camp as you asked."

"Good." Thunderstar's large orange figure was clear for all cats to see as he beckoned the Gathering patrol with a flick of his ears. "Let's go."

Oak Shade followed Violet Dawn and the rest of the cats out of the camp and into the gorse tunnel. Being the last cat out of camp, he couldn't resist flashing back a triumphant look at Morning Fire. The feisty dark brown she-cat muttered something into the ear of her sister, Shivering Rose, and, lashing her tail, turned away.

The ThunderClan patrol climbed out of the ravine to be greeted by shades of silver. Oak Shade's fur tingled with amazement. The forest looked completely different at night. Moonlight shone, casting black shadows. It was already fairly dark as the cats headed to Fourtrees, and every so often they had to sidestep fallen debris from the sunrise before. A bird's screech made his ears perk up, making him realise that the night offered new types of predators and prey.

Violet Dawn, noticing his surprise, told him, "That's an owl; they only come out at night."

They continued to pad through the darkening forest, only stopping to dodge fallen trees and other types of debris.

Focused on the fresh moonhigh scents and avoiding debris, he hadn't notice that a cat was matching his pace. Hazel Burrow's mew made him turn his head. "Did you say something?" Oak Shade asked.

"I was just saying how different the forest is at night," the young black-and-white tom mewed, unfazed. "That's why you were just distracted," Hazel Burrow suggested light-heartedly.

"Yeah, I suppose that's true," Oak Shade purred.

"Anyway, I can introduce you to one or two cats − if you want?"

Oak Shade knew he was self-assured and confident enough to assess the other Clans on his own. But, he didn't want to sound rude, and he realised it would be easier than doing it by himself. "Sure," he coolly told his friend.

"Great!" Hazel Burrow exclaimed. "I think we're almost there."

This invoked stronger feelings of excitement from Oak Shade. _Finally!_ he thought. _I'm getting to go to a Gathering!_ "I can't wait," he squeaked.

Soon, the group of cats had made it to a bush that gave way to a descending incline. The cats lined up against the last lining of thick undergrowth. Through the leaves, Oak Shade could see a sea of cats and four towering oaks. _This must be Fourtrees!_ Suddenly, a range of different scents swarmed his senses. Surprised, Oak Shade jolted back slightly. They all smelled horrible compared to ThunderClan.

"Yuck! They all stink," he muttered under his breath. "They must be a bunch of fox-breaths."

"You shouldn't be so rude," Violet Dawn meowed beside him.

"They aren't too bad," Hazel Burrow whispered from his other side. "You'll get used to it."

"ThunderClan," Thunderstar howled, leading the way down into the Gathering, "let's go."

Trying to keep out the vile scents of the other Clans, Oak Shade followed the rest of the ThunderClan cats down into the clearing. The grass was still slippery from rain, after last sunrise's storm, so they walked slowly.

On the edge of Fourtrees' hollow, Oak Shade realised that the great oaks were even bigger than the Ancient Oak in ThunderClan's territory. _I didn't think anything could be taller than the Ancient Oak! How long have they been here for?_ His mouth hung open with awe.

"It can have that effect on cats." Hazel Burrow had come to a halt at Oak Shade's flank.

"I didn't expect them to be so high," Oak Shade murmured.

"Well, it's a good thing you're not a bird," chirped Hazel Burrow. "Come on," the black-and-white tom waved his tail, "I'll introduce you to some cats."

Oak Shade allowed Hazel Burrow to take the lead. He hadn't expected the Gathering to be lit up with so many different scents and voices. Mysterious meows assaulted his ears as they zigzagged between different Clancats.

Eventually, Hazel Burrow came to a stop in front of a cluster of cats. There were stenches of fish coming from them, and, from what he knew about the different Clans, Oak Shade guessed they belonged to RiverClan. There was also a damp musty scent that drifted into his nostrils. _That must be ShadowClan. Thunderstar told me they lived in wet marshland and pines._

A big tabby tom with tiny ears sat alongside a pale brown tom. There was a flock of younger cats, some kits, which sat listening to him. "The badger stared furiously at me. I felt nervous, but I stood my ground. I had been able to defeat similar sized predators before. The badger lumbered toward me, but I was too fast. I was easily able to dodge, and I delivered some powerful blows to its side." A proud look stretched across his face. "Soon enough, I had it fleeing like a piece of prey." The big tabby tom's wise eyes looked around at his captivated audience as he finished his story.

"Wow, that's so impressive, Mouse Ear," a she-kit's mew sounded.

"Yeah, you sure showed that badger," a tom-kit agreed.

Oak Shade followed Hazel Burrow, who had been circling the group. Then, Hazel Burrow stopped, putting his tail onto the shoulder of a short-furred white tom. "Hey, Spider Paw" Hazel Burrow greeted.

The similar sized tom spun around. "Hazel Burrow, it's good to see you," he spoke back, acting as though he and Hazel Burrow were old friends. "How's the prey been running?"

Oak Shade's hackles began to rise ever so slightly. _I'm not sure why Hazel Burrow would want to be so friendly toward that fish-face. Does Hazel Burrow not understand his friendly relationship with that RiverClan cat could cause him to hesitate during battle? Our loyalty must be to ThunderClan above all else!_

"Good, thanks." To Oak Shade's alarm, Hazel Burrow pointed his tail in his direction. _I don't want to be introduced to this fish-muncher!_ "This is Oak Shade," he mewed above the loud cacophony of noise. "Oak Shade, this is Spider Paw."

"Greetings, Oak Shade," Spider Paw welcomed.

Oak Shade only nodded in return. He was unwilling to develop any friendly attachment with this tom that could make him pause in battle. _I have to become the best fighter in all the Clans! That means I'm not going to let some petty friendship get in my way!_

"Is Blue Whisker here?" Spider Paw's question broke his thoughts.

Before Hazel Burrow could speak, Oak Shade confusedly mewed, "What's it you?"

"She's my sister," Spider Paw purred. "I've got a littermate in each Clan apart from WindClan."

" _Really?" Oak Shade gasped. "How's that possible?"_

"I thought everyone knew that Moth Flight had given up her kits," Spider Paw calmly responded, acting like it was no big deal.

 _"I never realised." Oak Shade was shocked that Blue Whisker had littermates from outside ThunderClan. It must challenge her loyalty!_ he wondered. _Can I trust her?_

Oak Shade wanted to find out more about what loyalty Spider Paw felt toward Blue Whisker, but there was a recognisable yowl from the Great Rock, which made every cat's head turn up toward the Great Rock, "Does anyone have a clue as to where WindClan are?"

Cats from all Clans fell quiet out of respect for the leader. But, there was no reply to his question. Silence consisted of the only response.

A broad-shouldered light gray tom stood on the Great Rock. His large figure was silhouetted against moonlight. _I wonder who he's the leader of?_ The light gray tom's icy blue eyes were fused with annoyance. "We should just start without them. Besides, why should we wait for their laziness?"

Murmurs of agreement were caterwauled by members of SkyClan, ThunderClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan. _That tom's right! Why should we be forced to wait for those rabbit-breaths?_

"I'm sure they'll be here soon." A thick-furred black she-cat reasoned; Oak Shade knew it was Shadowstar. "We may as well wait a little bit longer – it's still greenleaf after all."

"I agree," calmly spoke a silky silver tom. From what he had learnt about RiverClan from Thunderstar, he presumed it was Riverstar. "They have never been late before. There must be a good reason," he speculated warmly.

"What about you, Thunderstar?" the light gray tom asked Oak Shade's father. _That must be Skystar,_ Oak Shade reflected. _I don't remember Thunderstar telling me that much about him._

Thunderstar held Skystar's gaze. "I agree with Riverstar and Shadowstar. Windstar wouldn't be late unless there's been an emergency."

"Fine." Skystar's tail lashed in frustration. "We'll wait."

The leaders waited a while longer. Dull heartbeats stretched out. _Could this get any less exciting?_ Oak Shade pondered as he blankly studied his two white paws.

More and more heartbeats dragged out. Oak Shade knew he was going to lose his patience if the leaders didn't start their announcements soon. All around cats had begun to meow to each other again; this time they murmured, feeling awkward in the tension filled atmosphere.

"This is getting _boring_ ," Oak Shade muttered into Hazel Burrow's ear. "WindClan better be here soon."

Amused, Hazel Burrow laughed lightly. "I'm sure they will be."

There came a point where it looked like Skystar would again ask about beginning the Gathering, however, a light thudding of paws stopped it from happening.

"It's WindClan," called a cat from the crowd, situated near WindClan's side of Fourtrees.

 _Finally! WindClan are here!_ Oak Shade's heart skipped a beat. The Gathering would really begin.

The cats of WindClan emerged from light vegetation. A wiry brown she-cat hurried into Fourtrees' sheltered hollow. Oak Shade was surprised by how little cats they had brought, in contrast to the other Clans. Only five cats padded behind the leading she-cat. Apart from being out of breath, they looked very nervous. Their heads would turn back, toward their territory, and snap back just as quickly. _They look weak − are they hiding something?_

"Windstar," Skystar challenged in a neutral tone, "why haven't you brought more cats?"

"You will find out soon," the wiry brown she-cat replied. Her yellow eyes glinted with a mixture of intense determination and sadness as she headed toward the Great Rock.

Again, Oak Shade wondered what had happened to WindClan. Yet again, he stared over the WindClan cats. They had stayed in one closely-knitted group, showing no interest in mixing with the other Clans. _I thought Clans were meant to mix at Gatherings. There has to be something wrong with WindClan, if they're acting like this._

"I'll begin," Skystar started. "Everything is great with SkyClan. Prey is flowing nicely, and our youngest cats are sure to reach their full potentials as excellent hunters. Despite last sunrise's storm, we suffered no harm." He stepped back, turning to the next leader.

Each leader went through similar statements about their Clans. It was now Windstar's turn to speak. Riverstar jumped off the Great Rock, allowing Windstar to announce from atop it. The wiry brown she-cat gratefully leapt onto the Great Rock.

"I'm afraid WindClan has awful news," Windstar announced solemnly. "Just after the storm hit, we found Jagged Peak's body. He was killed by dogs."

There was a collected gasp of horror from every Clan cat. A web of terror consumed the Clan cats, fearing the danger of the murdering dogs.

 _"What if they make it to our territory?"_

"What about our kits?

 _"WindClan must deal with them!_

"Let me finish!" Windstar shouted, silencing the fearful caterwauls. "We will soon find the dogs and stop them. It's WindClan's problem alone. We don't need help from any other Clan."

Windstar landed off the Great Rock, signifying the Gathering's end. Before she could fully hurry away, Skystar spoke a few silent words to her. Windstar nodded, and Skystar followed her, as she bounded off with the rest of WindClan.

"Windstar must be worried if they've gone that quickly," Hazel Burrow murmured beside him.

"Well, let's hope that our Clans don't run into the same problem," Spider Paw added.

"Agreed," Hazel Burrow mewed.

They exchanged farewells with Spider Paw. Then, Spider Paw, Hazel Burrow, and Oak Shade made their way to join their own respective Clans. Once among the familiar pelts and muzzles of his Clanmates, Oak Shade felt more secure. As Thunderstar ordered the ThunderClan cats to head back to camp, Oak Shade couldn't help thinking about the dogs. _If they dare come to ThunderClan, I'll tear them to shreds!_

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**  
At first, I was a bit concerned about this chapter following the first write through, but I'm really pleased with it now. I furthered among Oak Shade's personality. Being someone who likes more arrogant styled villains, I like his cocky kitfulness. :P I thought he created some good humour in there as well. :P Plus, he's probably my favourite writing PoV so far! There was a temptation to have my three protagonists Sun Shadow, Silver Stripe, and Oak Shade meet up in this chapter, but I don't think it would have worked. I may implement it at some point, though. :D I hope you liked the characters I introduced into the narrative. Personally, I'm loving all of them. And just as a disclaimer, Hazel Burrow and Shivering Rose are based on personalities/characters created/conceived by myself, and not based on the very nice BlogClanners of the same names. :P I liked Spider Paw, and I think it'll be interesting to see how Oak Shade's view on Clan loyalty will go. Also, Mouse Ear got a cameo; I was looking for a cat to fill the story-teller role and it worked well. Reading about his backstory was very interesting as well, if anyone can remember in #4: The Blazing Star there's a reference about him being able to fight off a badger, so I thought I'd include that here. :P We are heading back to Silver Stripe and WindClan next chapter, so get HYPED. :P I just need to edit it. I think that's everything. I'm really enjoying this now. Being able to extend the DotC universe is a real joy. So, massive thanks for reading! Any comments, feedback, story thoughts/predictions are appreciated etc. :) Cheers, peeps  
 **3,577 words / 6,094 words for Oak Shade's PoV / 17,357 total  
—UKEAGLECLAW—**

 _ **Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out my DA UKEagleclaw, featuring both art & FanFic :D**_


	8. Chapter 6

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 6**

 _Streaks of short crisp grass stretched_ out underneath Silver Stripe's paws. Windstar, concerned for her Clan's safety, had only taken a couple of cats to the Gathering. There had been no further evidence of the dogs on their territory, however, all of WindClan felt scared and vulnerable after Jagged Peak's shocking death. So wisely, Windstar had decided to station numerous guards around the camp's boundaries to ease the Clan's fear. Seasons of peace felt so long ago, and Silver Stripe was struggling to come to terms with the sudden, dangerous turn of events.

Skystar tagged close behind, just about keeping pace, with the faster WindClan cats. Silver Stripe wondered how he would react to seeing his brother's grave. It was common knowledge that Skystar had cast Jagged Peak out of SkyClan, when his leg was injured. But that was the Skystar of old, worn by moons of grief, and now the light gray tom was now amongst one of the most respected and feared Clan cats.

After passing mounds of heather and gorse, the cats reached the shallow slope that led down to WindClan's sandy hollow camp. Silver Stripe thought the night air felt hotter than usual as they nimbly padded down to the camp's narrow gorse covered entrance.

Reed Tail was standing guard, the silver tabby tom nodded respectfully to them as they passed by. His ears pricked up. "I can smell SkyClan." Seeing Skystar, he added, "I presume he's with you."

"Of course," Windstar confirmed. "Why else would he be travelling with us?"

They entered the gorse tunnel in single file, and soon enough, Silver Silver could see the WindClan camp's familiar sandy base. _Could the dogs destroy this,_ she thought grimly. Her eyes turned toward the Hunting Stones. _We had played there as kits, as did Heather Tuft and Stone Gaze, but it seems so long ago. The Clan has been blocked by sorrow and fear. And, after what the dogs did to Jagged Peak, I'm not sure if we even have a chance to stop them._

Skystar's bold meow suspended her dark thoughts, "Take me to Jagged Peak's grave."

"In the morning," Windstar replied casually.

"Am I not going to see Jagged Peak's grave now?" Skystar challenged, his brow was furrowed in anger, his tail lashing from side to side.

"It's too dark," Windstar responded. "It'll be better at Sunup. When it rises, I'll ask a cat to escort you there. But for now you'll have to find somewhere to sleep in our camp."

"Fine," Skystar snorted, backing off to a more sheltered part of camp, which was underneath the thick gorse wall.

Silver Stripe padded toward her usual sleeping spot, which was shared with her brothers, near the overhanging gorse barrier. She lay on her back, gazing up at the starry black sky above. _Please, StarClan, we need your help. Jagged Peak shouldn't have died, and no one else should. Send something or stop the dogs yourselves, but please, just do something._ The stars only twinkled in response, instead of offering a definitive answer to her plea.

She had soon fallen into a troubled sleep. Jarring barks and grating fangs surrounded her, enclosing her, making her hackles rise in terror. Back arched, fur spiked, claws fixed into the ground, she waited to feel their harsh breath against her limbs. But it never came. Waking with panicked breaths, she saw the sun was rising. Raised meows rose from the Meeting Hollow, she decided to see what was going on.

"You've got _no_ right to be here, Skystar!"

Skystar was facing a fang-bared Eagle Feather. The tom's yellow eyes were filled with hatred for his father's older brother. Eagle Feather's pelt was bristled in fury, making him appear near double his size, and his striped tail went violently from side to side.

"He was my brother," Skystar meowed. Silver Stripe had never seen Eagle Feather this angry toward any cat. She was surprised to see that Skystar was unfazed by the tom's hostility.

" _Brother_!" Eagle Feather spat sarcastically. "You threw him out, like a piece of prey, when you thought he was too weak! Limp or not, my father was twice the cat you are! I find it ironic that you're now acting like you care!"

"I care," Skystar began, unnerved. "That's why I'm here, to pay my respects to Jagged Peak. I regret what I did, but I'm a changed cat."

"Hare-dung! You're lying through your teeth!" Eagle Feather hissed. The tom's yellow eyes were bulging, expanding with rage. "Besides, if you hadn't convinced Jagged Peak to go with you to the forest, he'd still be alive! It's _your_ fault! He would have been able to escape the dogs!"

For the first time in Silver Stripe's life, she saw Skystar looking stunned. The leader's shoulders suddenly seemed hunched with grief. Had he taken Eagle Feather's words seriously?

"What in StarClan are you two doing?" Windstar was storming across the clearing.

Eagle Feather's claws caused the sandy hollow's floor to ripple. "Telling him to get lost! He's no right to be here, after what he did to Jagged Peak!" Eagle Feather curled his lip, snapping his head toward Windstar.

Even Windstar looked taken aback by Eagle Feather's fury, before the tom had been known as quiet and calm. The twist in personality had obviously been caused by his father's death. Silver Stripe watched from some cat-lengths away, but she had some sympathy for Eagle Feather. _Whether or not he's right about Skystar, I've had some bad rumours about him. He's caused and killed the deaths of many cats. Perhaps Eagle Feather's right._ All of a sudden, Silver Stripe thought about Gray Wing. _I can't remember much about him, but I'm certain he wouldn't have wanted this._

The screeching of Eagle Feather had woken a lot of the other WindClan cats, meaning a crowd had begun to gather around Skystar, Eagle Feather, and Windstar.

"What have you got to say for yourself, Skystar?" Windstar enquired.

"He was my brother," Skystar reflected solemnly. "I deserve to pay him final respects." The SkyClan leader had seemingly quickly regained his composure. "I would have been here straightaway, if you'd told me at the time," the thick-furred light gray spoke back.

"You don't deserve anything!" Eagle Feather growled.

"It isn't your decision, Eagle Feather. Holly should have the final say," Windstar stated, looking around the crowd of cats. Failing to spot her, Windstar added, "Someone get Holly." She flicked her tail, reaffirming the gesture.

Moth Flight told Windstar that Holly was in her den, caring for Heather Tuft and Stone Gaze, who were still recovering from the shock of seeing their dead father's mangled corpse. When Moth Flight had found her, she had asked Holly about Skystar's wishes. The white she-cat was about to give Holly's answer. "Holly told me that Skystar should be allowed to see Jagged Peak's grave."

At Moth Flight's statement, Eagle Feather gave out a loud hiss. The tom stomped into the crowd, disappearing down the entrance tunnel, becoming lost among the gorse tendrils.

"Silver Stripe," Windstar was looking at her, "take Skystar to Jagged Peak's grave. The dogs wouldn't dare go near the gorge, so there won't be any trouble."

Astonished, she stared back at Windstar. Silver Stripe couldn't understand why Windstar would select her to escort a Clan leader to his brother's grave. Wasn't there more experienced cats to be chosen in her place? Despite her surprise, Silver Stripe managed to splutter, "Yes, Windstar."

Before she could speak to Skystar, the bold tom headed toward the gorse tunnel. "Let's go."

The crowd of cats parted to let Skystar and Silver Stripe through, allowing them to reach the entrance tunnel. Skystar had already vanished into the entrance when she reached it. There was a sharp feeling of apprehension in her that Eagle Feather would do something he'd regret, but the brown tom was nowhere to be seen as she exited the camp's entrance.

Skystar stood, waiting for her on the other side. "Take the lead." He demonstrated with twitching his tail.

"Okay," Silver Stripe agreed, starting to feel a little more comfortable among the orange blazes that were lighting up the sky. _But I still can't believe that Windstar chose me. After all, Skystar's such an important cat; he's one of the founding leaders!_ "It's this way," Silver Stripe told the mighty leader.

They skirted the outskirts of camp. Then, Silver Stripe led Skystar up a sharper slope that led toward the gorge. Her pelt stood on end as she pictured falling into its endless depths. _I'm not sure how long I would last in that._ The morning air was cool with a gentle Sunup breeze. _How can the weather change so quickly?_ she questioned. _You wouldn't be able to guess that there had been a storm recently._

Heading into a narrowing path, between splotches of moorland shrubbery, Silver Stripe felt the urge to ask, "How did SkyClan cope with the storm?" She instantly regretted it. _What sort of question is that to ask a Clan leader? He'll think I'm being disrespectful._ "I'm sorry," she apologized. "It's not an appropriate question."

Skystar kept padding forward. "Why is that?" he began. "Is it because, I steal prey, territory, and don't care about the other Clans?"

"No, no," Silver Stripe stammered, "it's just…"

"You know my past. In fact, every cat does. But, believe me, I've changed. I've got a family and mate." For the briefest moment, his eyes were clouded with grief. "I've lost kits, but I know what kind of leader I need to be. Perhaps I didn't before. And despite what Eagle Feather said, I didn't convince Jagged Peak to go to the forest. He fully wanted to go. At the time, my judgement was mouse-brained," Skystar's voice became stretched with grief, "but I didn't cause his death. Jagged Peak fell from a tree. I couldn't do anything to stop that from happening."

A fork in the path came up, Silver Stripe led Skystar down the side leading away from the gorge. They walked on in silence. She felt sympathy for both Eagle Feather and Skystar, but she was conflicted on who to believe more. _Maybe Skystar has changed, and even though, Eagle Feather is filled with hated. He is still my Clanmate. Jagged Peak's death has just shaken him. It can't be easy for him, knowing his father was murdered by the dogs._

"Is this it?" Skystar solemnly asked.

The two cats had reached a small bit of moorland that was symbolised with a small boulder. Beyond the small boulder, grass grew in sparse quantities. _This must be where Gray Wing was buried._ Silver Stripe and her littermates, Black Ear and White Tail, hadn't been allowed to witness their father's burial.

They stood for countless heartbeats, locked in their own individual memories. Skystar suddenly turned to her, looking shackled by grief, he rasped, "Do you think Jagged Peak would forgive me for treating him so badly? If I could go back now, I'd let him stay."

Puzzled by Skystar's question, Silver Stripe thought about Jagged Peak. Would he have forgiven Skystar? Knowing what she did about Jagged Peak's personality, she knew him as a kind and considerate tom, and he was a loving mate and father. Also, despite his limp, he worked just as hard as any other WindClan cat, perhaps more so. There had been fleeting murmurs between cats about his feud with Skystar, but she'd never experienced him show any open aggression toward his older brother. _Perhaps Eagle Feather knows more, but I've never known Jagged Peak to be hateful._

"Jagged Peak would have forgiven you," Silver Stripe finally answered. "He had come to terms with the limp and gotten his new life with Holly and their kits."

Skystar nodded, appearing more content. It seemed as though, Skystar had reconciled emotions that had long been buried in the back of his mind. The light gray tom's blue eyes' regained their composed look as he began to trot back down the path.

"Where are you going?" she felt compelled to ask.

"Home," Skystar meowed determinedly, "to see my family, to see _SkyClan_." He paused, then meowed, "I'm sure Gray Wing is very proud of you." He continued down the path, without staring back. Soon, Skystar had vanished out of view, only a blur in the blossoming rays of sunlight.

The leader's praise made her pelt feel warm with gratitude and respect. It also made Silver Stripe think of her own family…

 _Gray Wing may be among the stars. But Black Ear, White Tail, and Slate aren't. My Clan aren't. We're all a family._ Fresh resolve rushed through her, bringing with it a wave of determination and understanding. _StarClan or not, no more cats will die like Jagged Peak. We don't need StarClan to stop the dogs for us. As together, WindClan will defeat the dogs._

* * *

 **Author's Notes:  
** I'm happy with this. I hope I got some good emotion in there. :P I don't know if I wrote Skystar accurately or not, but I wanted him to retain his boldness along with having a bit of open grief toward the end. I'm continuing his redemption persona, which was ruined in MVF, whilst retaining some of his aggressive elements. I expect this may close up a lot of Silver Stripe's thoughts of Gray Wing, but we shall see. I definitely enjoyed referencing him. :P At first, I will admit that I was very wary of starting a FF series following DotC, but I've got none now, and I'm loving what I've managed to come up with. Btw, I'm going to be taking a week or so break from publishing anything as I've got exams coming up in that period. Thanks for your understandings, and, as always, massive thanks for reading! Cheers, peeps. :D  
 **2,151 words / 9,755 words for Silver Stripe's PoV / 19,508 total  
-UKEAGLECLAW-**

 ** _Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out my DA links on the sidebar or alternatively my account UKEagleclaw for more streamlined mobile or tablet viewing._**


	9. Chapter 7

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 7**

 _"There's no sign of the dogs_ along the Thunderpath border," Gorse Fur reported, obediently to his mate and leader.

Windstar, shaking her head, began, "We've searched every blade of grass." The wiry brown she-cat paused for a couple of heartbeats, going into deep thought. A gentle breeze brushed through the sandy hollow camp as Windstar meowed, "But we haven't looked outside our borders." Windstar's ears perked up, and her yellow eyes brightened. "That must be where they are."

"Outside?" the thin, gray tabby tom murmured. "Is that wise? We don't know what we'll find."

"If the dogs were able to murder Jagged Peak and escape so easily. They have to be close to our borders. And it doesn't where they are – I made a vow to stop the dogs from killing more WindClan cats," Windstar growled. "Take some cats and search beyond the farm border." She intrusted Gorse Fur with a commanding dart of her tail.

"Yes, Windstar."

Gorse Fur bowed his head. After he turned away from Windstar, Silver Stripe could see the senior tom's eyes scanning around camp, searching for cats to join the search patrol. As it was nearing sunhigh, there wasn't many cats left in camp. The majority were out hunting or searching for the dogs that had disrupted WindClan life. Only Windstar, Gorse Fur, Moth Flight, Silver Stripe, White Tail, Fern Leaf, Eagle Feather, Storm Pelt, Holly, Heather Tuft, and Stone Gaze remained in camp.

Four sunrises had passed since Silver Stripe had taken Skystar to Jagged Peak's grave. Since that moment, she still felt just as determined to avenge Jagged Peak's death, but she wasn't surprised to find some cats beginning to give up hope of finding the murderous dogs. She and every WindClan cat had been continuously searching for any clues of the dogs' whereabouts, but nothing had come up just yet. In a way this had lifted the fear from WindClan, though there was still a great fear that the dogs could strike at any moment, replicating what had happened to Jagged Peak.

Cats were unnerved, with some more worried than others. Silver Stripe's brother, White Tail, sat alongside her. Earlier they had hunted together, and it was easy for Silver Stripe to notice how White Tail's fur would bristle at any mention of the dogs or any sudden noises. She just hoped that if he came muzzle to muzzle with one of the dogs, he wouldn't hesitant.

"Silver Stripe," Gorse Fur's meow broke her thoughts, "you can join the patrol."

"Sure," she casually replied. Silver Stripe wasn't even sure that they would find any trace of the dogs. Like the storm that had arrived and left so quickly, it seemed as though the dogs had also vanished. She hadn't seen too many dogs before, but Silver Stripe was worried about the further damage Jagged Peak's killers could inflict on her Clan. And despite wanting to avenge Jagged Peak's death, she sensed it would be better for WindClan if the wild beasts stayed gone.

"Fern Leaf," Gorse Fur pointed his long tail toward a lean-muscled, black she-cat with green eyes, whose pelt was heavily scarred, "you know more about the dogs than any WindClan cat. Your experience will be useful if we find the dogs."

The knowledgeable black she-cat rose from her sitting position, nodding her head in acceptance.

"And..." Gorse Fur turned his head around the sandy hollow. "Storm Pelt," Gorse Fur was cautiously glancing toward a mottled gray tom with a thick tail, "would you like to come?"

All of WindClan had acted tentatively around Jagged Peak's grieving family ever since his death. Little words of sympathy – they knew – couldn't bring him back.

Holly, since Moth Flight's persuasion, had remained close to her kits, refusing to let them out of her sight. Their kits, Heather Tuft and Stone Gaze, had lost their playful exuberance, preferring to stay in the sheltered nursery with their mother, who would always keep a close eye on them. Silver Stripe remembered how the kits had always been irritating all the older cats by swiping at their tails, but that hadn't happened since; Silver Stripe couldn't even recall seeing them outside of the nursery since they saw their father's deformed body.

Eagle Feather had kept to himself since Skystar's visit, but it had made every cat wary of approaching him; they weren't sure how he might react. In comparison, his littermates, Dew Nose and Storm Pelt, carried on hunting for the Clan, unwilling to let their father's death side-track their lives as it had done for the rest of their family. Even though, Dew Nose and Storm Pelt would politely decline joining any search patrols. Silver Stripe was sure, as the rest of the Clan were, that they feared facing the terrifying creatures that had disfigured their father.

Now, Gorse Fur waited for Storm Pelt's response. The mottled gray tom's blue eyes looked up, readying to give his answer, but Eagle Feather's voice, from Storm Pelt's flank, interrupted him.

"Storm Pelt doesn't want to go," the broad-shouldered brown tom began in a harsh growl. "If Windstar thinks that's where the dogs are most likely to be, I'll gladly come along in his place." Eagle Feather's claws unsheathed, marking the sandy hollow floor. "I can't wait to rake my claws across their hare-brained muzzles."

Silver Stripe was shocked at Eagle Feather's attitude. _He sounds crazy!_ Looking across the clearing toward Gorse Fur, she saw a similar shocked expression etched across his face. The senior tom paused, unsure of how to respond to Eagle Feather's vengeful request.

"Storm Pelt," Windstar interjected from atop Tallrock, "what is _your_ answer?"

There was brief silence, whilst Storm Pelt thought about his answer, though Silver Stripe could hear Eagle Feather's intense breathing from tail-lengths away. Silver Stripe could also see Eagle Feather's hackles beginning to stand on edge as his yellow eyes filled with indignation. She realised White Tail had picked up on the tension as the dark gray tom with white patches twitched nervously beside her, his tail lightly brushing against the ground.

Lifting his head, the lithe, thick-furred mottled gray tom answered, "I'll go." Storm Pelt's blue eyes shone with determination. "I'd like to help avenge my father's death."

" _Fine_ ," Eagle Feather hissed. "I'll come too, then. You'll need all the help you can get," the brown tom hastily presumed.

"No," Windstar ordered, "I'll need you and White Tail to help me guard the camp."

"You _can't_ be serious? _I_ need to be out there," Eagle Feather pointed his tail beyond the camp's gorse wall, "doing something useful. You're preventing me from avenging my father! _First_ , you supported Skystar, embarrassing me in front of the _entire_ Clan! That fox-heart is a leader of a _rival_ Clan, no less! And _now_ , you're stopping me from finding the dogs!" Eagle Feather's meowed had transformed into a rage-filled snarl.

Silver Stripe was relieved that Storm Pelt was coming instead of Eagle Feather. Storm Pelt would be better under pressure than Eagle Feather, who looked like he wanted to find every single dog in the world and blame it for his father's death.

Windstar remained on the Tallrock, standing ominously still, muscles rippling. Wisps of sunlight glittered around the edges of her pelt. Silver Stripe thought that Windstar was about to growl something at Eagle Feather, but she was surprised by what she heard.

"I don't blame you for wanting to avenge Jagged Peak's death. I and every other WindClan cat wants the same, but we need strong cats to protect the camp. How would Jagged Peak, or you feel, if something happened to Heather Tuft and Stone Gaze?"

An ominous silence lasted for a dozen heartbeats. The only noise was White Tail's paws scuffling against the sand. Shocked, Silver Stripe eyed Eagle Feather bow his head in realisation. "You're right," he rasped softly. "I'll make sure that the dogs can't destroy any more of my family."

Windstar's gaze turned toward her mate, Gorse Fur. "Good luck."

"Have fun defending the camp," Silver Stripe teased, flicking her tail over White Tail's ear.

She felt guilty as White Tail sighed, "I'll try."

Before Silver Stripe could apologise or find out if anything other than the dogs was bothering him, Gorse Fur's call reminded her of her duty to WindClan, "Silver Stripe, we're leaving."

Padding forward to file in behind the other members of the search patrol, she risked a glance over her shoulder toward White Tail. He was talking to Windstar and Eagle Feather, tail drooping along the floor, brushing patches of sand as it did so. Silver Stripe hoped that her brother would become more confident and less nervous soon. _I might have to talk to Black Ear, and see what we can come up with to help him get more confidence._ Making her way through the gorse tunnel, a spiking piece of gorse made her shudder. _I don't know how he would cope without us._

Exiting the gorse tunnel, she was startled to see Storm Pelt. "I thought I'd wait for you," he bluntly stated. "Gorse Fur and Fern Leaf have gone on ahead." Silver Stripe was disappointed to not hear any of his old friendliness, which had been hard to come by since his father's death. "We'll catch them if we're quick," he continued swiftly.

Trying not to sound too disheartened, Silver Stripe replied, "Gotcha." As she followed Storm Pelt out onto the rolling moors, where light blue skies swam above.

It hadn't taken long for Silver Stripe and Storm Pelt to catch up with Gorse Fur and Fern Leaf. Silver Stripe was at least happy to feel bands of breeze brush her fur and sunlight warm her pelt. For some reason, the air felt sticky, as though it was holding something in, and had clutched at their pelts as they headed toward the border. But looking around, Silver Stripe dared to ignore it.

Nervousness had kept them in hushed silence. Now, standing at the border, the unknown stretched out before them.

Gorse Fur's experienced gaze was sweeping over them. "We don't know what's out there." His lithe gray tail flicked in the boundary's direction, reinforcing his point. "And for that reason. We have to remain careful, and I need all of you to do just as I say. If I say run, you run." Gorse Fur's eyes clouded over for the smallest heartbeat, but then his voice continued with the same composed meow, "WindClan doesn't want to lose any more cats, which means no heroics. If we do find the dogs, we'll go _immediately_ back to camp and tell Windstar."

Silver Stripe found herself nodding, Fern Leaf and Storm Pelt did the same.

"Any questions?" Gorse Fur enquired, pausing. As there was no response, he meowed, "Come on."

Crossing the border, Silver Stripe felt the grass beginning to crawl up her legs, making her feel uncomfortable. Gradually the undergrowth grew until trees marked the start of a forest. Just before entering the trees, she spotted the farm that ran close to WindClan's borders. _I wonder if any cats or prey are there?_ Quickly her attention changed to dodging long vines, which lashed around in front of her.

The overarching trees blocked out the sun's rays and cancelled the air flow, as they went deeper into the forest's interior. Thick undergrowth was now worming up her legs. Silver Stripe felt like the deeper they went, the worse the undergrowth got. In front of her, she could see Gorse Fur struggling, though Fern Leaf padded confidently through the long grass, dense shrubs, overhanging bushes, and shadowy trees. The lean-muscled she-cat showed no signs of fatigue. Rocky, who had died of greencough last leafbare, had told her that Fern Leaf was previously a rogue. _Perhaps that's how she's so comfortable with all this stupid undergrowth._

All of a sudden, she tripped, a tendril catching a back paw, causing her to flop onto the forest floor. "Unbelieveable!" she hissed in anger and annoyance.

Fern Leaf and Gorse Fur's ears darted back in surprise, and Silver Stripe thought she heard light _mrrows_ of amusement under their breaths.

Behind her, Storm Pelt was being less secretive. Letting out a bout of laughter, the thick-furred mottled gray tom helped her to her paws. "Unlucky," he purred.

Getting to her paws, Silver Stripe purred back, "Well, at least it made you smile."

Silver Stripe's embarrassment had at least caused a grin to befall Storm Pelt's muzzle, something that had been missing since Jagged Peak's death. But Storm Pelt's expression began to harden again, his blue eyes losing their shine. "Well, I've not had much to smile about recently," his purr had been replaced with a broken grief-stricken meow.

Extreme guilt immediately emerged from Silver Stripe. _How could I have made such a fool of myself?_ she pondered. "I'm sorry," she began. "I didn't mean it like that."

"It's okay," Storm Pelt muttered, though Silver Stripe could see the saddened look that was scored across his muzzle, adding to her strong feeling of guiltiness.

Not knowing what to say, they kept on trampling through the thick undergrowth in awkward silence. Silver Stripe felt awful. _That was a chance to make him open up, and I ruined it._ She let out the smallest sigh as she followed Storm Pelt and the rest of the patrol further into the forest.

After what seemed like an eternity, they stumbled upon a small clearing that was dancing with sunlight. They were panting by that time, and all four cats took a fast moment to regain their breaths.

"Look at this," Fern Leaf suddenly hissed from the front of the patrol.

"We've found them," Storm Pelt breathed.

Silver Stripe stretched out her neck, so she could glance around the side of Storm Pelt. A ravaged, unrecognisable bit of prey was covered in blood; there was many deep bite marks around the remaining scraps of flesh. Sickness filled her mouth, and she had to gasp, for it to escape her lungs. "That must be the dogs," Silver Stripe cried, as invisible breezes made her shiver.

Fern Leaf nodded, nearing the carcass and, giving it a sniff. "It definitely smells like dog."

"They must be close," Gorse Fur warned. "We'll follow their scent. But we'll have to be careful."

Gorse Fur leading, the WindClan cats ventured more into the forest, following the scent trail that was left by the dogs. The undergrowth started to thin a little bit, and a new purpose had made them pad with more urgency toward their target. Silver Stripe felt a nervous pit forming in her stomach as she wondered about what could go wrong. _How will the dogs react? How will we react? How will I react? Can I even face the dogs?_

Vile dog scent became stronger. The birds had ceased their singing, and the area was swamped in disgusting dog scent, paining Silver Stripe's nostrils.

"Wait," Gorse Fur urged, his tail suddenly angling back.

There was a thicket in front. Silver Stripe could spot a few gaps in it. _Could this be it?_ A terrifying bark sounded from the other side, causing the four cats to become unnerved. And immediately every cat unsheathed their claws.

"The dogs," Fern Leaf spat.

Gorse Fur instructed them to stalk, as carefully as possible, to the thicket's edge. Through the gaps, Silver Stripe could see four big, brutish black shapes sitting alongside one another. Saliva dropped from their mouths, flapping against the shorter grass, and she could see rippling muscles underneath their glossy pelts. As one of them yawned, Silver Stripe stiffened in terror. Sharp, piercing fangs had been hidden from sight – the ones that had torn Jagged Peak to a disfigured heap. Alarmed, Silver Stripe was now able to understand how deadly these remorseless beasts really were to WindClan's safety.

Before the dogs could smell or spot them, Gorse Fur touched each cat with his tail, monitoring for them to track backwards. _Phew, soon Windstar will know, and then she'll know what to do._

Without realising, whilst edging away from the thicket, she stomped on a small branch. It splintered in half, and its noise echoed throughout the forest, puncturing beyond the gaping thicket. _Oh, StarClan!_ she thought in absolute terror. _What have I done?_

Silver Stripe looked up to see her own feelings of horror reflected in the expressions of Gorse Fur, Fern Leaf, and Storm Pelt. "Run!" Gorse Fur shrieked. "We'll lose them in the woods!"

The shifting of clumsy paws from behind signified that the dogs had indeed heard her. Recovering to her paws, she bounded after the rest of the patrol. As she followed them, she had to scramble to dodge trees and bushes. Fright rushed through Silver Stripe, making her heart thump against her pelt, and filling her with pure panic. Harsh barking exploded in her ears, making her stumble yet again as she rolled through clumps of shrubbery. Attempting to get to her feet, she saw the rest of the patrol far ahead, escaping toward the border.

"Come back!" she cried, but her desperate cry was cut short by a feverish bark that came from very close behind.

 _If I'm going to die, I'm going to avenge Jagged Peak._ She whipped around, seeing the four black hounds coming to a sudden halt in front of her. They skidded forward, readying to attack their prey. Saliva splat against her muzzle. Their jaws slammed shut, omitting a bone-crushing vibration. The hounds' eyes were glazed with destructive malice, which made Silver Stripe tremble, and their claws seemed more than twice the size of any cat. As they closed in on her, Silver Stripe unsheathed her claws, getting ready to sacrifice herself.

Silver Stripe felt herself flinching as they got closer and closer. Big paws pressed against the ground, and she began to feel their disturbing breath touch her pelt. The stench was so mad, she had to force bile back down her throat.

Frozen to the spot, she sat waiting for the dogs to make the first move. _Come on, you ugly brutes!_ Silver Stripe flexed her claws, getting prepared for her end.

Suddenly! The dogs turned their heads toward the trees that surrounded them. Then, to Silver Stripe's surprise, the dogs emptied shallow whines from their mouths. /emWhat's happened?/em Completely confused, Silver Stripe wondered what had alerted the dogs' attentions.

Bright ginger fur raced across her vision. Snapping her head around, she managed to glimpse a tom zigzagging through the trees around the dogs. Silver Stripe's eyes widened. _He's going to get himself killed!_ The bright ginger tom manoeuvred with skilful agility through the forest floor. He made it seem as though the undergrowth wasn't touching his paws. The dogs were now snarling, twisting their heads and attempting to focus on the dash of fiery ginger fur. Taking advantage of the distraction, Silver Stripe began to slowly creep away.

Avoiding their clumsy, outstretching paws, the bright ginger tom darted around the sides of the four dogs. Reaching her side, he called, "Go! I'll keep them busy."

"Thank you," Silver Stripe gladly replied, feeling a mixture of terror and gratitude, she stumbled away, rushing back toward WindClan territory.

Once she was a dozen or so tail-lengths away, she risked turning her head back. The bright ginger tom was leading the dogs away, losing them among the densely packed trees.

 _I wonder who he is?_ she reflected, feeling puzzled. _Why did he save me?_ Not having the answers, she continued to run back toward the border, trying to put the nightmarish dogs behind her.

 **\- SCENEBREAK -**

Stars shone in the blackening sky as Silver Stripe exited the thinning undergrowth. The pale gray tabby she-cat was relieved to hear familiar meows.

"We shouldn't have left her," Storm Pelt meowed.

"How could we have realised?" Fern Leaf shrugged. "Let's just hope she got away."

Silver Stripe, nearing her Clanmates, could see a worried look in Storm Pelt's face. "But… What if she turns out like Jagged Peak?" The mottled gray tom's head dropped. "I won't be able to live with myself."

Her slender tail rustled some ferns as she passed a mound of heather, alerting Fern Leaf. "Wait, it could be her."

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Silver Stripe called out to them.

When she was closer, Storm Pelt sighed, "I'm glad you're safe."

"Yeah, what he said," Fern Leaf agreed. "We better get back to camp. Gorse Fur went ahead, and everyone's bound to be worried about you."

 **\- SCENEBREAK -**

"Battle training will begin immediately," announced a commanding voice.

Silver Stripe could see Windstar telling the Clan as she pushed through the narrow gorse tunnel, her fur brushing the sides. She was happy to see everyone gathering in the Meeting Hollow, watching Windstar, who sat atop the Tallrock. Silver Stripe was even happier to see the pelts of Slate, Black Ear, and White Tail sitting close to each other. After earlier, she knew it was a privilege to see them again.

"She's back!" a cat meowed, making all of WindClan turn toward her.

It didn't take more than a few heartbeats for her Clanmates to swamp around her, drenching their scents with hers. After thinking she was about to die when facing the dogs, Silver Stripe was overjoyed to feel the warm pelts of her Clanmates touch hers. She closed her eyes, treasuring their warmth.

"I'm glad you're back," White Tail's sudden meow sounded from amongst the sea of cats.

"I'm glad, too."

A black-and-white tom approached them from the crowd, his amber eyes sparkling. "I hope you didn't have too much fun without me."

"Good to see you too, hare-brain," Silver Stripe purred, swiping a sheathed paw over one of his ears.

The events from the day faded from her mind as she was enclosed by her Clanmates, who offered joyful meows to her. Knowing she had escaped from the dogs, she felt jubilation flow through her body. When being so close to death, it made her realise how important her family was to her. Using her tail, Silver Stripe pulled Black Ear and White Tail in close, embracing the cats who meant the most to her.

 **Author's Notes:  
** As a gift for me not publishing a chapter for 12 days, I've given you the 2nd longest chapter in the book so far. I'm happy with this (I've gotta be when it took 2 edits :P). In case anyone wanted to know, I put in what happened to Rocky, though I think I mentioned something about greencough outbreaks in one of the first few chapters, so it was probably guessable from that. Silver Stripe nearly died, and who is this mystery ginger tom? You'll have to find out when we return to Silver Stripe's PoV. *evil laugh*. Btw, it'll probably be at least 3 chapter until we go back to her PoV. Fear not, we've got Sun Shadow's return and more Oak Shade coming soon. As always massive thanks for reading! Any comments are appreciated etc. Cheers! :D  
 **3,692 words / 13,447 words for Silver Stripe's PoV / 23,200 total  
-UKEAGLECLAW-**

 _ **Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out my DA & Twitters at UKEagleclaw, featuring art, literature, and me. :D**_


	10. Chapter 8

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 8**

 _Sun Shadow was flung back by_ powerful hind legs. Mulch stuck to his pelt as his body rocketed against the ground. Shaking his head, he briskly regained his footing. Sun Shadow's rival, a well-muscled jet-black tom, charged toward him. But Sun Shadow was too quick, he skilfully sidestepped the older tom, using a firm front paw to trip his opponent's vulnerable hind leg. It caused his rival to tumble to the ground with a light thud. When Sun Shadow was certain that his opponent was down, he pressed another paw to his adversary's throat, forcing him to submit.

Recognising that he had won the mock fight, Sun Shadow let his foe get to his paws. The well-muscled jet-black tom shook out his fur as he did so, sending bits of mud and leaves in multiple directions. "Well done, son," Sun Shadow's father, Moon Shadow, congratulated. "You've come on well in the last quarter moon."

Under Moon Shadow's proud dark blue eyes, Sun Shadow was glad that he had won his father's praise and respect. He remembered how he had been shocked to see his father, and how he had been heartbroken at learning it was just a dream. Ever since their first meeting, every night they had talked and trained. It made Sun Shadow feel more content about not seeing his father in the real world. _I'm lucky I can see him in my dreams. That's at least something._ Sun Shadow had asked Moon Shadow: if every cat had dreams with their deceased loved ones, but Moon Shadow had told him it was rare. _I was even more grateful and relieved when he told me that._

Randomly, a question probed Sun Shadow's mind, which he felt compelled to ask his father. "Moon Shadow," he began.

Moon Shadow stopped licking down a tuft of fur on his shoulder blade and stared back at his son. "Yes?" he enquired.

"Have you visited Shadowstar?" Sun Shadow cautiously asked.

"I have briefly in the past." Casually, Moon Shadow went back to grooming himself. "But not in many moons," he stated. "Besides, my sister doesn't need me. She wouldn't care that you're seeing me in your dreams, I presume that's what you're worried about." Moon Shadow's ears twitched, curiously. "Do you think you need me?"

Sun Shadow didn't have to think for more than a few heartbeats about his answer. "I've enjoyed meeting you… It's something I thought would never be possible." Sun Shadow felt huge admiration for the father he hadn't known in the waking world. "You've taught me so much already, and I've learnt so much more than I knew was possible."

Moon Shadow moved toward Sun Shadow, brushing his muzzle, affectionately, with his son's. "I'm pleased as well," meowed Moon Shadow. "You're a good cat, and I know you'll serve your Clan well in the future." Moon Shadow had taken a few paw steps back and was eyeing his son from ear to paw. "I couldn't be prouder."

"Thank you, father," Sun Shadow sincerely purred.

As Moon Shadow's gaze grew more serious, Sun Shadow felt a twinge of nervousness. "You may be ShadowClan's chosen cat, but I want you to know that I'll help you face the darkness. I'll always be by your side, son."

His father hadn't mentioned the darkness since their first meeting, and Sun Shadow was interested in knowing more about the incoming danger. Sun Shadow split open his jaw to respond. But before he could ask for more information, Moon Shadow's jet-black pelt changed into glowing smudges of starlight. This had become a similar sight for Sun Shadow. For it meant, he would be forced back into the waking world.

Fresh sunshine greeted Sun Shadow's opening amber eyes. Feeling a bit stiff from training with Moon Shadow, Sun Shadow gathered himself to his paws. Pieces of moss bedding were attached to his pelt, but he flicked them off with a sweep of his tail. Noticing various tufts of fur sticking out, Sun Shadow decided he better quickly groom himself.

After he had completed a thorough grooming, he advanced into the camp's central clearing. Then, whilst walking, he realised he had a slight limp, which must have happened when he had been too slow to dodge one of Moon Shadow's charges.

As Sun Shadow got closer, he could hear voices sounding from the clearing. Sun Shadow quickly realised it was Shadowstar, who was busy organising the day's patrols. As it hadn't rained for the last couple of sunrises, the hollow's usual muddy floor was hardened and felt dry under his pads. He padded closer until he had placed himself in view and waited to be put into a patrol.

Whilst glimpses of sunlight bore down on him, through nearby pine trees, he couldn't help thinking about Moon Shadow. _I wonder what I'll learn next._ Once again, Sun Shadow couldn't wait for moonrise to come, so he could go to sleep and train with his father. The slender jet-black tom had to admit that it had distracted him during the day, but he was being taught skills that would help him protect and serve ShadowClan in the future. _What's the harm of that?_ Sun Shadow mused. _I'm just happy I've got to meet my father._

"Sun Shadow," He jumped as Shadowstar's call broke his daydreaming, "you can join Raven Pelt's patrol." She nodded toward a black tom with yellow eyes, who sat waiting with Bubbling Stream and Dangling Leaf.

Raven Pelt started out toward the thorn tunnel. He was followed by the other hunting patrol members, including Sun Shadow, who lagged a couple of paces behind because of his slight limp.

As they walked underneath the dark pines and forest vegetation, which dimmed the sun's rays, Sun Shadow was absorbed in his own thoughts. Looking ahead and seeing Raven Pelt and Dangling Leaf, Sun Shadow felt a pool of jealously rising inside him. Dangling Leaf would get to know Raven Pelt in the waking world, whilst Moon Shadow wouldn't walk alongside him until he joined StarClan. He felt envious as Raven Pelt touched his tail against Dangling's Leaf's back. It was yet another reminder that Moon Shadow would only ever walk in his dreams.

All of a sudden, a set of paws matched his. Bubbling Stream had lowered her pace, coming beside him. "It's humid today, isn't it?" she meowed in greeting.

"I suppose," Sun Shadow shrugged.

"It's been like this for the last few sunrises," Bubbling Stream reminded him. "I hope it rains again soon," she sighed. "The ground is getting too hard. It'd be nice to feel soft mud under paw."

"True," he agreed, a yawning escaping his mouth.

"Did you have a late night?" Bubbling Stream went on, cheekily.

"Well, kind of."

Bubbling Stream's ear flicked forward. "Dreams can sometimes be pretty rigorous." For a moment, Sun Shadow was paranoid, thinking she somehow knew about his meetings with Moon Shadow and that she would reveal it to Shadowstar. "Sometimes I've been stalking prey in my dreams. And if I've chased it for a long distance, I then feel tired when I wake up. Does that sound weird?" the young she-cat with yellow splotches meowed.

"No," Sun Shadow meowed. "Not at all."

Bubbling Stream quickly took a couple of licks, trying to hide her embarrassment. "That's good." The short-furred she-cat's eyes glanced toward him. "Wait, are you limping? Are you okay? What happened?" Bubbling Stream assaulted him with a barrage of questions.

"It's nothing," Sun Shadow bluntly replied. _There's no way I'm letting her find out about me and Moon Shadow._

Shortly ahead of them, Raven Pelt and Dangling Leaf had halted. Raven Pelt was giving them both a look of indignation. "Now, if you two can stop chirping away, we might _actually_ be able to get some hunting done," he scolded.

"Sorry, Raven Pelt," Bubbling Stream apologised.

Sun Shadow dipped his head in response. _Why should I have to apologise just for talking? Besides, I'm sure that Moon Shadow wouldn't have apologise for it._

"Whatever," Raven Pelt remarked. The moody black tom waved his tail. It stopped in three separate directions. "Whilst you two were messing around, I detected prey scent in each of those directions." His yellow eyes regarded the rest of the hunting patrol. "Dangling Leaf can come with me. You two can decide whether or not to team up or hunt individually. And I don't care what you decide, as long as you bring back some prey."

Raven Pelt stomped away, his black pelt causing him to merge with the shadows. Dangling Leaf's orange tail was the last thing Sun Shadow could spot of them as the two cats prowled off.

Turning to his flank, Sun Shadow could see Bubbling Stream staring up at him. "So, do you want to hunt together?" she asked eagerly.

Remembering Moon Shadow's lessons about only relying on himself to improve, Sun Shadow felt an urge to listen to his father's advice. "There's two pools of prey scent; it would be better if we split up. We'll be able to catch more."

"No problem." Sun Shadow could tell that Bubbling Stream was attempting to sound cheerful, but she failed miserably.

Leaving Bubbling Stream behind him, Sun Shadow ventured into rich pineland. He had to erase Bubbling Stream's disappointed look from his mind as he swivelled through different types of shrubbery. As Sun Shadow began to sniff for prey scents, a strong squirrel smell wafted against his nostrils, carried by a light breeze. _At least Raven Pelt was right._

It wasn't difficult for Sun Shadow to morph into the shade of the overarching pine trees. The sun had become covered by clouds, drenching ShadowClan's territory with even more dark places for animals to hide in. The closely packed pines already offered a lot of protection from any bad conditions, and he was certain that that light breeze would be stronger on WindClan's territory. Despite the recent heat, Sun Shadow still felt cool underneath the pines, and the light breeze blew against his pelt, relaxing him, as he moved forward.

Suddenly, through patches of ferns, Sun Shadow eyed a small red squirrel. It was foraging for food among the roots of a small pine tree. The squirrel's back was to Sun Shadow, and it looked overly concentrated in its search for food.

 _I'll have to be careful – that tree isn't far away._ As the wind was blowing against him, Sun Shadow used the shadows formed by the overhanging fern stalks to near his prey. A couple of slow paw steps later, he was able to see the squirrel more clearly. Making sure to avoid anything that could trip him up, Sun Shadow neared the edge of the thicket.

Now at the edge of the thicket, the squirrel stood a couple of tail-lengths away, nibbling on a tiny berry. _I'll have to make sure that I balance this correctly,_ Sun Shadow decided, thinking about his slight limp. Sun Shadow began to breathe in and out, getting ready to pounce on the careless piece of prey. Hesitantly, he wondered how Moon Shadow would pounce, losing short, crucial heartbeats in the process.

Out of nowhere, a bird's deafening squawk dispersed through the forest, causing Sun Shadow to look around and lash his tail in surprise. Unfortunately, Sun Shadow's swaying tail knocked some ferns. As Sun Shadow lowered his head back toward his prey, he saw the squirrel's red bushy tail bobbing upwards. There was no doubt that the squirrel had skirted up the side of the pine, heading into the safety of the canopy. Sun Shadow's prey was lost.

 _That squawk must have scattered all the prey in ShadowClan territory!_ Sun Shadow decided with a sigh, thrashing his tail, which caused some dried leaves to leap into the air. Half blaming himself and whatever had caused the bird's ringing cry, the slender jet-black tom turned back toward camp. As Sun Shadow's stomach let out a small tremor, he hoped that Raven Pelt, Dangling Leaf, and Bubbling Stream had caught something.

 **\- SCENEBREAK -**

It didn't take long for Sun Shadow to arrive back in camp. Empty jawed, he painfully limped through the thorn tunnel. On the walk back to camp, his shoulder had begun to ache. _I must have done something to it when Moon Shadow knocked me to the ground in the dream. But that doesn't make sense, how could I be injured in a dream and suffer it after waking up?_ Sun Shadow had wondered, feeling confused. _Perhaps Moon Shadow knows why._

Blinking away the light pain, Sun Shadow witnessed Shadowstar, Raven Pelt, Dangling Leaf, and Bubbling Stream standing in the muddy hollow's central clearing, talking in raised voices.

Approaching them, Sun Shadow meowed, "What's going on? Is it about the prey?"

Raven Pelt curled around to face Sun Shadow. "If it hadn't been for _her_ , we would have been able to catch some," Raven Pelt argued. The black tom's yellow eyes were glassy with disapproval as he stared down at Bubbling Stream, whose ears were flattened against her head.

Dangling Leaf shifted his paws across the dried specks of mud, which had been churned up by the recent hot weather. "It was a waste of time," the orange-tailed tom complained, agreeing with his father.

Sun Shadow stayed silent. _I feel sorry for Bubbling Stream, but, even though he's a real pain in the tail, Raven Pelt has a point. If she was the one to mess up, then it made me lose that squirrel._

Shadowstar rolled her eyes. "Raven Pelt, you're overreacting," Shadowstar informed. "The prey will return. Anyway, the last claw moon brought us excellent hunting. I'm sure the prey will resurface later, and there's still the marshes. Leaf-fall has begun, but its rain and cold hasn't." Shadowstar hooked her tail toward a deposit of fresh-kill. The fresh-kill was rested in a tight dip in the ground and was encircled with green waxy leaves. "If you're hungry, there's still some fresh-kill from last sunrise."

Straightaway, Raven Pelt swept back out of camp. But before he actually exited, Raven Pelt sharply jerked his tail forward, beckoning Dangling Leaf to follow him.

As the senior black tom entered the thorn tunnel, Sun Shadow heard him gruffly call to his son, "We might as well check the marshes for prey."

Orange tail raised, Dangling Leaf bounded after his father, and Sun Shadow heard him mutter, "Ugh, I _hate_ the marshes."

Within heartbeats, the two cats had left Sun Shadow's sight. He saw Shadowstar head toward the dirtplace tunnel, and Bubbling Stream had headed over to the fresh-kill pile.

Sun Shadow was left pondering what to do next when his stomach let out a rough growl, reminding him he hadn't eaten since the sunrise before. Mind made up, he stumbled over to the fresh-kill pile. A range of prey was there, but Sun Shadow, just wanting to fill his belly, took the first two pieces he saw – two plump looking mice – between his jaws and carried them over to a slab of soft mud, which would allow him to gingerly rest his bruised shoulder.

As he chewed on one of the mice, it tasted warm and musty. Glancing toward the fresh-kill pile, he realised that the prey must have been laying in the sunlight. Despite the bad taste, he managed to force down the mouse.

When he had finished the second mouse, Sun Shadow felt the warm light breeze massage his fur. That, along with the mice, made Sun Shadow feel very drowsy. This dulled the pain of his shoulder and made it easier for Sun Shadow to doze off. He let out a yawn. _Those dreams with Moon Shadow are wearing me out,_ Sun Shadow mused. Some heartbeats later, tiredness had convince him to wrap himself up into a compact ball of jet-black fur. Promising himself he would go out later to hunt, Sun Shadow let himself drift off to sleep, wishing for another dream with Moon Shadow.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:  
** Finally finished. Btw, it's exactly 1 month on from Chapter 6. Some trivia there. :P Sorry for the delay I've been busy trying to improve my art amongst other things. I also had a bit of block/lack of motivation, for some reason, after writing the first 800 words or so like 2/3 weeks ago. Tbh, I'm surprised it's gotten to the mid 2000s. :P Just some more Sun Shadow stuff here, learning more about some of the other characters and the interactions with Moon Shadow. I was particularly proud of the first bit. Nothing much else to say. The next chapter is written, but it needs to be edited, however, I may start work on Chapter 10 first. And in case it isn't obvious, the next chapter will be Oak Shade's ThunderClan PoV. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!  
 **strong2,666 words / 4,570 words for Sun Shadow's PoV / 25,866 total  
-UKEAGLECLAW-**

 ** _Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out my DA & Twitters at UKEagleclaw, featuring art, literature, and me. :D_**


	11. Chapter 9

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON**  
 **CHAPTER 9**

 _Fronds of green undergrowth were bent_ out of shape as Oak Shade trampled through the forest's shady trails. Thunderstar's bold orange pelt shone ahead, making a path through the thick undergrowth for his son.

"Today, I'll take you along the SkyClan border," Thunderstar murmured. Though Oak Shade thought he heard a minuscule sigh, but he dismissed it for the rustling leaves that rested in the deep canopy above his head.

Ignoring his father's tone, Oak Shade padded faster to keep up with Thunderstar's longer limbs. "Aren't they those tree climbers?" the black-and-orange tom-kit thought aloud.

Thunderstar's torn ear darted backwards. "Yes," Thunderstar confirmed, "it's a key advantage for them; it means they can attack from anywhere. They can also hunt more prey and hide from it, as well as any other predators or cats, due to their climbing ability."

Nothing more was said as Thunderstar prowled strongly through the undergrowth's whipping vines, which were obstructing Oak Shade's smaller legs. Small dots of envy hit his fur as he saw a small black beetle easing through, as if it was taunting him, it wiggled its forelegs together. Before Oak Shade could whack it with a forepaw, the beetle had disappeared deeper into the undergrowth.

Soft kitten-fur fluffed up around his neck. "Mouse-dung!" Oak Shade exclaimed underneath his breath. "I'll get you next time!"

He raised his head; Thunderstar was getting further and further away. To avoid his father's criticism, Oak Shade bounded forward, making sure to avoid any longer tendrils of anything that could trip him up. Oak Shade was at the very least relieved his legs had grown slightly from his first outing in the forest with Thunderstar. The slightest wind blew against him as he raced past a rich palette of green, yellow, brown, russet, auburn, and tawny colours.

All of a sudden, Oak Shade's mind jolted back to his father's previous lessons. Puzzled, Oak Shade slowed, tipping his head to one side.

 **\- FLASHBACK! -**

A couple of moons prior…

Greenleaf had been in full force. The sun's rays blazed into the ravine, making stones boil and hunting an extra tiring effort. Every cat felt drained of energy. Exhausted, most of the Clan had been sheltering against the bramble walls of the camp, shaded from the beams of light.

A younger Oak Shade, with even fluffier black-and-orange tom-kit fur, sat facing his father, who was resting alongside his mother, Violet Dawn. "Father?" Oak Shade mewed, feeling curious about all the other wildcats he had heard rumours about.

Thunderstar's whiskers tremored. "What is it?" he asked.

Golden eyes belonging to Oak Shade flashed with interest. " _Please_ , can you tell me more about the other Clans?" Oak Shade pleaded. The tom-kit's eyes were wide, and they sparkled like the sun.

"Well," Thunderstar hesitated, "I'm not−"

Violet Dawn shifted from beside Thunderstar. She smoothly massaged her sleek dark tail over his back. "You know, he's got to know about the other Clans at some point. Before long, he'll be hunting and patrolling and going to Gatherings. You can't protect him forever." Violet Dawn urged in a soothing fashion. "Why not teach him some things now?"

The big orange tom still looked uncertain. "Okay," Thunderstar started, dubiously, "what do you want to know first?"

Oak Shade's golden eyes once again lit up with excitement. "Everything!" he exclaimed.

Thunderstar and Violet Dawn both let out _mrrows_ of laughter. After a short couple of heartbeats composing himself, Thunderstar looked back at Oak Shade. "I'll start with the basics."

"Our Clan, ThunderClan, is the Clan of the forest. We use the deep undergrowth to stalk our prey, utilising the hunter's crouch to do so," Thunderstar stated. "When you're older, I'll teach it to you," he added. "And every full moon, the five Clans meet at Fourtrees for the Gathering."

"Tell me more about the other Clans!" Exuberated by his newfound knowledge, Oak Shade interrupted.

Violet Dawn and Thunderstar shared another amused glance. Clearing his voice, Thunderstar went on about the other Clans of wildcats, "On the open, air-filled moors live WindClan. They chase their prey with their blistering speed. Meanwhile, RiverClan live in reeds beside a great flowing river, fishing for their prey. Then there's ShadowClan, who live across the thunderpath in wet marshland and dark pineland. Similarly to us, they use stalking and the shadows to their advantage…"

 **\- FLASHBACK! -**

For some bizarre reason, Oak Shade couldn't remember much about SkyClan. As he kept on walking forward, nothing stirred in his mind about them. Only Lightning Tail telling him they bordered ThunderClan. "Why wouldn't Thunderstar tell me about them?" Oak Shade quietly huffed. His thoughts failed to come up with any clear answers. _This is weird_. Battling through the stalks of grass, Oak Shade felt more frustrated than ever.

 _Looks like I'll have to ask him,_ Oak Shade's determination compelled him forward.

Catching up to Thunderstar, Oak Shade questioned his father. "You've told me a lot about all the other Clans, why not SkyClan?"

Buttercups scrunched underneath Thunderstar's hard pads. The buttercups' bright yellow petals disbanded into the undergrowth. It was the only thing Oak Shade was able to hear as a stretch of silence between himself and Thunderstar began to last longer than heartbeats.

Finally, Thunderstar shook his head. "I've got history with them," he admitted.

To Oak Shade, Thunderstar still seemed edgy, and he didn't feel satisfied with his father's brief response. Oak Shade had enough. " _Why_ are you keeping secrets from me? Don't you trust me?" he protested with a hiss, letting some of his frustration boil out.

Thunderstar stopped, turning his broad head towards Oak Shade. His clear amber eyes betrayed no anger. "When we're back in camp, I will tell you everything." Seeing Oak Shade's uncertain look, Thunderstar pledged, "I promise."

Doubting Thunderstar would break his promise, Oak Shade nodded in acceptance.

Thunderstar started to pad further down the path. He lifted his tail, signalling for Oak Shade to follow him. Still feeling pits of anger, Oak Shade kept the awkward tension intact. Instead of looking towards his father, Oak Shade kept his eyes peeled on the forest and his nose concentrated on the lingering forest scents.

While they advanced towards the border with SkyClan, the path twisted from side to side. The forest seemed alive with noise. At one point, Oak Shade glimpsed a small blue-and-yellow bird chirping away. Forgetting his meal earlier, he gleefully licked his lips. Though it was soon replaced with resentment, when Thunderstar told him to hurry up. Oak Shade glared back at the branch. But the small blue-and-yellow bird had disappeared. Even as he spun around to catch up with Thunderstar, he felt the bird's patronising birdsong enter his ears. Lashing his tail, Oak Shade's paws stomped against the ground in Thunderstar's wake.

As they got closer to the border, Oak Shade noticed ThunderClan's deep woodland growing slightly taller. A small number of paw steps later, a harsh woody and leafy smell hit Oak Shade's nostrils. But, unlike the start of the Gathering, he didn't feel as sickened. _It isn't as bad as the other Clans,_ Oak Shade considered, _and it even smells a bit like ThunderClan._

"I presume that's SkyClan's territory?" Oak Shade mewed, bounding forward to stand next to Thunderstar.

The amber eyes of Thunderstar stared into SkyClan's woodland. "Yes," the sturdy tom murmured.

Now that the undergrowth had thinned out, forming crisp blades of grass. Oak Shade stood, jaw gaping. In front of the two cats, there was an unnaturally dried path. It was covered in shards of bark. Also, there were acorns, pine cones, pine needles, twigs, and other forest debris, which must have fallen from the neighbouring trees. A tiny chasm of light stripped down its centre. Staring along its peculiarly straight path, it seemed that there was room for three or four cats to walk side by side. Oak Shade found it even stranger as he noticed that there was narrow rectangular dents pressed into the mixture of dirt.

Not thinking anything of this, Oak Shade raised his gaze onto SkyClan's side of the bizarre path. Similar to ThunderClan's side, the undergrowth once again began to grow. Outlying clipped bushes of nettles, brambles, and holly blocked a clear view into SkyClan territory. Oak Shade was surprised to see that SkyClan's territory faintly reminded him of ThunderClan's. Various trees, including beeches, birches, oaks, and sycamores, stood firmly in the distance. Unlike ThunderClan territory though, the tree trunks looked even more solid, and the SkyClan trees ranged a bit higher into the sky. But Oak Shade knew that none of them could rival the might of the Ancient Oak.

"It's unlike anything I've seen before," Oak Shade thought aloud, still taken aback by the freakish path.

"The Bark Trail ranges from up and down the forest," Thunderstar's voice rang in his ear. "It was built by Twolegs around the time of your birth."

Brushing forward to stand at the Bark Trail's edge, Oak Shade flashed his head from side to side. He felt his jaw drop as he realise that Thunderstar was right. Astonished, Oak Shade gasped, "Impossible!"

"It's true," Thunderstar maintained his point.

Calming himself, Oak Shade reluctantly studied the Bark Path for longer. Several heartbeats flew by before Oak Shade managed to reply. "That's why it looks _so_ weird. I wonder why they built it," Oak Shade pointed out. "Maybe they wanted to learn how to hunt?" he suggested.

"Twolegs are a bunch of mouse-brains," Thunderstar snorted. "Sometimes we see them walking along it, thumping the ground, as though they don't have a care in the world." Oak Shade saw Thunderstar roll his eyes. "They _don't_ even look for prey."

A slight rustle sounded on the other side of the Bark Trail, but Oak Shade ignored it, putting it down to the wind. Oak Shade turned his attention back to Thunderstar, carrying on listening to his father's voice.

"If nothing else, it was at least a good place to set border markings." Suddenly, Thunderstar paused. Then, lowering his broad head, he whispered into Oak Shade's ear, "Stay behind me."

Unnerved, Oak Shade kept his jaw clamped shut. _What's going on?_ he thought, hackles beginning to rise. Pushing back worry, Oak Shade bushed out his fur, to appear bigger than he was, and unsheathed his claws.

Returning to his full height, Thunderstar let out a fierce yowl, "Who's there?"

 _It hadn't been the wind!_

Thunderstar's bold yowl echoed out. For a few moments, the challenge was unanswered. No one emerged from SkyClan's territory. But Oak Shade and Thunderstar could now tell that there was something there. Thunderstar didn't seem too nervous, but his tail did occasionally dart from side to side. Next to Thunderstar, Oak Shade kept his claws unsheathed, gripping them tighter into the turf, and he kept his black-and-orange coloured pelt spread out, in an effort to appear bigger than he was.

The same rustling returned as a light gray tom slunk from the bushes that enclosed SkyClan territory. Startled, Oak Shade realised it was Skystar. _What's the leader of SkyClan doing here?_ he mused in bewilderment.

Thunderstar appeared to be unsettled as he dipped his head in greeting, "Skystar, what are you doing here? Thunderstar enquired.

Ignoring Thunderstar's question, Skystar padded onto the centre of the Bark Path. The narrow chasm of light was etched along the top of his head, making that section of his fur appear white. Instead of staring at Thunderstar, Skystar's icy blue stare was locked on him; it made Oak Shade feel even smaller than he was. Flustered, Oak Shade clutched his claws deeper into the clumps of undergrowth.

Oak Shade's tail began to jolt in random directions as Skystar's icy blue eyes continued to scan over him. "He looks a lot like you," Skystar purred. "He's got your orange fur, for sure." Examining both of them more, Skystar expressed a small sorrowful sigh, "You've both got Storm's sleek fur."

Confused, Oak Shade felt freaked out. _What in StarClan does he mean by that?_

Soon enough, Thunderstar interrupted, trying to alter the subject, "You _better_ head back into your territory," he warned. Letting off a growl, he added, " _Before_ you cross into ours."

One of Skystar's ears twitched and a mixture of surprise and disappointment covered the leader's muzzle. "You haven't told him yet, have _you_?" Skystar's tail whipped around as he headed back into his own territory. Over his shoulder, Skystar meowed, "I didn't think you were so ashamed of me."

Oak Shade took one paw step forward, wanting to find out more. But it was already pointless. Skystar had disappeared into the throng of undergrowth.

Anger coursed through Oak Shade's veins. Twisting his body around, he could see Thunderstar blankly gazing into SkyClan territory. Irritation marked his muzzle.

"What d _id_ he mean?" Oak Shade snapped, becoming more and more furious with each passing heartbeat. "What _haven't_ you told me?"

Thunderstar's tail lashed. "I'll tell you back in camp," he repeated from earlier, attempting to keep a level voice.

" _Fine,"_ Oak Shade hissed, angrily. "But I want to know _everything_. I don't _want_ any more secrets."

"As I said earlier, I _will_ tell you everything," Thunderstar reminded him. "It's a long story − I better tell you back in camp."

Oak Shade didn't have time to protest further as Thunderstar drove through the undergrowth, heading back towards camp. Seeing Thunderstar's intense pace, Oak Shade was forced to hurry to catch up to his brisk movements.

 **\- SCENEBREAK -**

Thunderstar had slowed down, but Oak Shade still had to trot to keep up. The young black-and-orange tom-kit could feel his shorter legs beginning to ache, throbbing with exhaustion. Normally, Oak Shade would be happy to flop down into his comfy moss nest. However, despite feeling anxious about what Thunderstar would say, he _needed_ answers.

"Surely, it can't be anything _too_ bad," Oak Shade muttered under his breath, though unease still haunted his mind as they neared camp, coming to a pause before the slope that started the decline into the ravine, where ThunderClan's camp was located.

Thunderstar halted, his bright orange pelt twitching. The leader of ThunderClan was getting ready to descend the rock-laced slope towards the bramble-walled camp.

Instantly, Oak Shade was forced to squint his eyes as sharp sunlight shimmered. Even so, Oak Shade could just about see the sun beginning to get lower and lower, making the sky turn into shades of orange and pink. He quickly rotated his head away, shielding himself from its powerful rays. The air had also grown more humid with each passing sunrise, making it seem thinner than usual. Plus, whenever Oak Shade was in the open, it felt like the sunlight would ignite his pelt; he was glad that ThunderClan lived under shade rather than the open sky.

Unexpectedly, a recognisably warm and sweet scent washed over Oak Shade. He felt calmed by it. Violet Dawn's familiar sleek dark frame emerged from the deep woodland, with Leaf and Owl Eyes appearing behind her. Each cat had prey in-between their jaws. Then, Morning Fire followed, gripping a large rabbit, which she was tensing to carry. Once detecting Oak Shade though, Morning Fire gave him a smug look. Not wanting to give Thunderstar a reason not to tell him anything, Oak Shade forced himself to ignore the antagonistic darkish-brown she-cat's triumphant sneer.

The ears of Thunderstar flicked forward in greeting. As the leader noticed the large amount of prey they were supporting, he praised, "Well done! There will be plenty of fresh-kill later."

Despite Thunderstar's warm words of congratulation, the nervous look returned to his muzzle. Oak Shade could tell his father was worried about telling him the truth. But Oak Shade felt it was his right to know whatever Thunderstar was keeping from him.

 _Serves him right! It obviously affects me! I don't get why he hasn't told me yet!_

As Violet Dawn neared them, her whiskers quivered, an uncertain expression growing on her face. She turned to Owl Eyes, who had the least prey out of the four cats, and asked. "Could you take my prey back to camp?"

"No problem," Owl Eyes breathed through the feathers of a small blackbird.

Leaf and Morning Fire overtook Owl Eyes as the gray tom bent down to pick up Violet Dawn's fresh-kill. Owl Eyes soon joined them, and the three cats had disappeared down into the ravine.

Violet Dawn was left facing Thunderstar and Oak Shade. "I can tell something's wrong," she began, "so what happened?"

Thunderstar leaned towards his mate, whispering something into her glossy black ear.

Oak Shade was a little shocked at his mother's response. "I _told_ you that you couldn't protect him forever," Violet Dawn replied, somewhat shaking her head. "You delayed it and delayed it. This was always going to happen. It's not even that big of a deal. You've made it worse than it should be. Just tell him _now_ , if not he'll find out from some other cat."

"Okay, I know." Thunderstar cut in.

Oak Shade could feel a combination of anticipation and dread as his parents faced him. Violet Dawn neared his flank, laying her tail on his spine, whilst Thunderstar sat down opposite. When all three cats had lowered themselves to the grass-patched ground, Thunderstar began:

"Violet Dawn's kind of right. I was worried about how you would react, but I've learnt that every cat can follow its _own_ paws." Thunderstar cleared his throat. "I was born to a she-cat named Storm. The den she gave birth in collapsed, taking her with it." There was sadness in his father's voice, which was worryingly alike to Skystar. But Thunderstar's voice softened as he went on, "Luckily, I was saved by a cat called Gray Wing, and he became my foster father." Thunderstar's amber eyes glowed. "Have you heard of him?" the leader curiously enquired.

"Of course! He's the cat that helped form the Clans," Oak Shade mewed. Licking down a tuft of fur on one of his forepaws, Oak Shade reconsidered, "Well, that's what Lightning Tail told me." The black-and-orange tom-kit felt admiration for his father. "He seems likes an _awesome_ cat!"

Thunderstar nodded. "Gray Wing _was_. He was so courageous, wise, and noble. There was no cat like him. He taught me a lot, and I have much to thank him for and the moorland cats."

" _Moorland_ cats?" Oak Shade was stunned.

Had Thunderstar been a part of WindClan? Did that mean, like Spider Paw and Blue Whisker, he wasn't a full-blooded Clan cat.

"Yes, but they weren't known as WindClan back then." Oak Shade was disgusted by how casually Thunderstar said it. "It was long before the Clans were even named," Thunderstar continued.

"But how does Skystar fit into this?" Oak Shade interrupted, fearing what his father would say.

Thunderstar gave him a long stare, before murmuring, "My father is _Skystar_."

Horrified, Oak Shade's fur bristled out. "You've been in SkyClan, _too!_ How many of the _other_ Clans have you lived in?" Ignoring the alarm on his parents' muzzles, he went on, "I _can't_ believe it! How can _I_ stay loyal to ThunderClan, when I know you've been in the other Clans?" Oak Shade retorted. "And you've lied to me _all_ this time!"

Thunderstar's white-tipped tail brushed from flank to flank, and he stood proudly. Sunset's pink and orange lights flashed against his pelt. "It doesn't mean that. I am _ThunderClan's_ leader. If StarClan didn't think I was worthy, I wouldn't be the Clan's leader. And just because Skystar shares my blood, it doesn't mean he doesn't belong to a rival Clan. Make no mistake, Oak Shade. I will defend my Clan with _everything_ I've got – against every possible enemy that will challenge us."

Oak Shade still felt unsure about his loyalties. _I don't want to be like Spider Paw and Blue Whisker. I want to become the greatest ThunderClan cat ever!_

Despite this, Oak Shade knew for certain that he _d_ _id_ trust his father. Even though both his parents had lied to him, a part of him knew that Thunderstar had kept the secret about Skystar – in a way − to safeguard him. When looking at Violet Dawn's concerned, warm-heartened gaze, Oak Shade knew it was impossible to stay angry at his mother.

Still partly paralysed by his conflicting loyalties to the other Clans, Oak Shade reflected about everything he knew. Heartbeats dashed by. But, more importantly, Oak Shade realised that he might be able to put ThunderClan first and become the cat he always wanted to be.

 _I feel so divided. But I'll try to put my Clan, ThunderClan, above all else. I'll become a great fighter and a great hunter!_ Oak Shade silently vowed. _Nothing will stop me!_

He saw his father and mother out of the corners of his eyes. "I'm sorry for overreacting," he admitted, letting his hackles fall. Upon seeing his parents' distress lift, Oak Shade knew that he had said the right words.

"It's okay," his father reassured him. "When I was younger, I also wanted to be independent."

Oak Shade could feel his mother's comforting licks swamp his fur; they invoked memories of the nursery. Thunderstar's fatherly, calm aura was standing very close by. It made him almost forget about the troubles of the day. Regardless of what had happened and how he felt, Oak Shade realised that the next sunrise was a new day for him to hone his skills to a higher level.

The three cats embraced each other, as, in the darkening horizon, the last sparkling glimpses of sunlight hit their pelts. Heartbeats later, the sun had been hidden from view. To be replaced by an alluring sky of stars and the ever-glowing moon.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**  
I'm very pleased with this chapter; it's the longest Oak Shade chapter so far! Even if the edit did take forever. :P That's why you always edit, kids. ;P Honestly though, I'm ultra-pleased with my description and how this went. It may be my favourite written chapter so far. Also, I know flashbacks aren't used in Warriors, but it was a part of Oak Shade's memory, and it suited its purpose very well, I believe. And for the record, I do love Oak Shade, having a PoV who's very easily irritated is fun to write as. xD The random beetle and the bird bits were very fun to include as well. Btw, it was a blue tit that was taunting Oak Shade. ;P Again I've hoped I've kept the characters realistic. Thunderstar's reason for not telling Oak Shade about his heritage is because he worried about Oak Shade turning out like Skystar and is partly still ashamed of what Skystar did. Plus it took me for ages, but I actually finished re-reading The Sun Trail this morning. :P I think that's everything. :D And as always a massive thanks to my readers! And I must cheekily remind you that any comments are _always_ appreciated! Can't believe I'm approaching 30,000 words total and probably like a third through this FanFic! It feels weird. :P Stay chill, peeps. :D  
 **3,626 words / 9,720 words for Oak Shade's PoV / 29,492 total**  
 **-UKEAGLECLAW-**

 _ **Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out my DA & Twitters at UKEagleclaw, featuring art, literature, and me. :D**_


	12. Chapter 10

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 10**

 _Four black hounds began to encircle_ Silver Stripe. Saliva splitting, jaw slamming, paw thudding, they slowly progressed towards her. The hard movement of their giant paws and massive muscles tormented her with fear. Breath escaped Silver Stripe's lungs, making her frantically breathe, in desperate rapid attempts. Panic swamped over her, panicking her every muscle and every sinew. Unsteadily slipping to her paws, Silver Stripe's vision was blurred as she looked down at the ground.

 _Wait,_ she registered, _that's sand! Am I in camp?_

Silver Stripe struggled to force her head and body back up. Though thinking about her friends, kin, and WindClan willed her on, and she managed to raise her herself to her paws.

"What the…?"

There was no doubt in her mind that she was in the WindClan camp; there were dipping moorlands all around her, and the Tallrock stood in its regular fixed position. But everything else was different. The camp was deserted. There were no scents and no cats. Boulders and rocks were crushed into tiny fragments, the gorse barrier and tunnel had disappeared, and nearly impossible to see flecks of grass lay randomly across the clearing. Most notably, crushed yellow buds littered the floor, sliced into smaller pieces by cruel claws.

Every part of Silver Stripe's body was now standing on end. "StarClan, save me!" she cried out, flattening her ears.

As the dogs got closer and closer, Silver Stripe closed her eyes. But it couldn't hide her memories of the hounds. She could still see their soulless, disturbing, destructive eyes. Pure black and full of venomous malice, they penetrated her eyelids. Silver Stripe shook and trembled, feeling her legs growing weaker, with every passing heartbeat.

Pointing her nose to the sky, Silver Stripe prayed, _Please, StarClan, do something!_ But, to her horror, the sky was entrenched with everlasting darkness.

The brutish creatures were within four fox-lengths, and it felt as though, their breath was polluting her body. If there had been any straps of fur still down, they shot up. Sand flew up against her muzzle as the hounds got even closer. Now they were within leaping distance. Horrified, Silver Stripe gasped in pure terror as each dog threw themselves onto her.

Suddenly, her upper body flung forwards. Letting out hoarse breathes, Silver Stripe realised her fur was standing on end, bristling. The dream had kept her shivering. _That dream… it feel too real._

Four days had passed since Silver Stripe's narrow escape from the dogs. And she was just glad to be alive. Amazed that she had escaped, her Clanmates had been given fresh hope against the dogs. After she had talked with Skystar, under a quarter moon ago, she realised that she must cherish every moment in her life. But, ever since her encounter with the dogs, her dreams had been haunted by the terrifying faceoff. Silver Stripe now dreaded falling to sleep each night, and it clawed at her in the waking world. Some nights, they were so bad that Black Ear would wake her up, claiming she'd been screeching and twitching.

Pale light flittered down from the skies above as Silver Stripe raised her head, stretching as she did so. The sun was rising, and there were a couple of clouds displayed around its blue yonder. She gave her pale tabby fur a short groom and noticed that Black Ear and White Tail weren't in their nests. Worried, she bounded into the clearing, sending spots of sand swirling with her dashed movements.

"Watch it!" a cat furiously hissed from a nearby gorse bush.

She skidded to an abrupt stop. In the half-light, Silver Stripe could see a black she-cat, who was covered in a web of scars. It was Fern Leaf – she was sitting underneath a gorse bush, lying in her nest, and leaning over a piece of prey.

But, scanning the clearing, Silver Stripe felt panicked as she failed to spot her brothers. She knew that Black Ear could handle himself, but what about White Tail? Silver Stripe's shiver returned as she remembered the appearance of the chilling hounds. Everything in their features filled her with anxious dread. How would her nervous brother fare face to face with them?

Twisting around, Silver Stripe was reminded of Fern Leaf, making her wonder, _does she where they are?_ "Hey, Fern Leaf, do you know where Black Ear and White Tail are?" Silver Stripe pleaded to the lean-muscled black she-cat, worried of her answer.

"How am I supposed to know?" Fern Leaf flashed back. Seeing the hurt look in Silver Stripe's eyes, Fern Leaf reconsidered, "Sorry, Silver Stripe. I'm just feeling tired and stressed." The scarred she-cat sighed as she went on, "It's a lot of responsibility being in charge of all the training exercises."

The sunrise after Gorse Fur's patrol found the dogs, Windstar had announced that Fern Leaf would lead the training sessions, telling the Clan it would help defend themselves from the dogs. With a darker tone, Windstar had also told them that it would get them ready for a battle against them. Initially, Fern Leaf had rejected Windstar's proposal, but Windstar persuaded her that she knew the most about dogs in the Clan.

Silver Stripe felt a stab of sympathy for Fern Leaf as she realised what high pressure her Clanmate must be under. _Fern Leaf is having to train every single WindClan cat. It must be draining work._

The pale tabby she-cat dipped her head in apology. "I'm sorry. I was being inconsiderate, and I shouldn't have disturbed you like that."

"It's okay." Fern Leaf meowed, flexing her body. "And by the way, I've not seen them." Her green eyes moved from Silver Stripe to the Tallrock. "Windstar's on the Tallrock. You could ask her," she advised.

Going towards Windstar, Silver Stripe called over her shoulder, "I will. Thanks, Fern Leaf."

"No problem," she heard Fern Leaf's faint voice fade as she scramble towards the leader of WindClan.

She could hear a few cats sleeping as she kept on moving towards Windstar. Due to this, Silver Stripe made sure to set her paws down as lightly as possible. Luckily, the sand rinsed hollow helped. She slowed, noticing two or three more empty nests. This made her wonder: _Am I just overreacting? Perhaps they both went out early on a patrol? Oh well, I better make sure._ Once again picking up the pace, Silver Stripe continued her walk toward the Tallrock.

The leader of WindClan sat boldly postured atop the Tallrock. Windstar often sat there. Its raised position in the camp made it a great place to look over the sandy hollow and the surrounding hills and moorland. The leader's proud wiry figure stood motionless. It looked like she was staring into the distance.

"Windstar?" Silver Stripe cautiously began, aware of her leader's notorious fierce temper.

"Oh, Silver Stripe, I didn't see you there," Windstar meowed. Her yellow eyes lightening, she asked, "What's wrong?"

Silver Stripe had to stretch her neck upwards to meet her leader's gaze. "Black Ear and White Tail aren't in their nests. And I was just wondering, do you knew where they are?"

"Ah, those two–" Windstar began.

 _Phew, Windstar must know where they are._

"–went out on the dawn border patrol with Gorse Fur and Dust Muzzle."

Relieved, Silver Stripe felt her fur starting to lay flat. "Thank you, Windstar," she responded.

Windstar's expression didn't change as her yellow eyes gazed down on her. "While you're up, you may as well lead some cats on a hunting patrol."

Silver Stripe obediently bowed her head. "Yes, Windstar."

 _Wow,_ Silver Stripe thought, _my first time leading a patrol!_ As excitement shot through her fur, she felt the anxiety towards her brothers beginning to fade.

A gust of wind edged her short-fur as Silver Stripe pondered about who she should wake up. She stood in the middle of the clearing, scanning the gorse bushes, where the cats of WindClan slept.

Thankfully, a friendly voice from behind offered to join the patrol. "I'll come with you," Dew Nose greeted. "Windstar had me training _all_ day yesterday. It would be nice to do some hunting for a change."

Silver Stripe rotated around to face the brown tabby she-cat. "Thanks," she meowed.

The she-cat's yellow eyes gleamed. "So," Dew Nose let out a purr, " _who_ else is coming?"

"I haven't decided yet." Then, she named the first cat that came to mind. "I could ask Storm Pelt," Silver Stripe decided.

One of Dew Nose's ears flicked forward, knowingly. "I'm _sure_ you can persuade him," she teased, amusement in her voice.

Silver Stripe felt her neck fur fluff out in embarrassment. "Storm Pelt's _just_ a good friend," she admitted. "He's a nice cat."

Dew Nose stared at her. "Fine." Craning her neck forward, the white-nosed she-cat lowered her voice to a murmur, to make sure that Silver Stripe would be the only one to hear. "But, just so you know, he thinks highly of _you_ ," Dew Nose started to explain. Her whiskers quivered in the light breeze, and her yellow eyes dimmed to a darker shade. "Our family's been through a lot recently. I hope you won't do anything to intentionally hurt him."

Tensing, Silver Stripe reminded herself, _Storm Pelt's just a friend._ "Of course, I wouldn't hurt him," Silver Stripe meowed in agreement. "Storm Pelt's one of my best friends," she added with a purr, thinking of the friendly and wacky mottled gray tom.

Dew Nose's head began to lower, but she raised it again. Compared to previously, her expression looked more welcoming. "I don't want to force you into anything − Well, he didn't want me to say anything," Dew Nose paused, seeming unsure about revealing her brother's secret. But she gave herself a small shake and continued murmuring, "but he _really_ was upset when you went missing. He even blamed himself for leaving you there." Dew Nose shifted her paws, nervously. "If you don't see him in that way, perhaps it would be better to tell him _sooner_ rather than later."

 _That's why he sounded so worried – I don't know what to make of it all,_ Silver Stripe mused. _I've only ever thought of him as a friend._

"Don't worry, Dew Nose. I'll make sure not to offend him." Remembering a vow she made to Moth Flight seasons ago, her younger voice sounded in her head. _"I'm going to be the best hunter in WindClan."_ Silver Stripe didn't care too much about being WindClan's best hunter. But she did want the best for her Clan.

"I just don't want him to get hurt," Dew Nose murmured.

"I _won't_ let him," Silver Stripe expressed through gritted teeth, making sure her tail didn't lash against the ground, becoming annoyed with how Dew nose was going on about it. "I want to put my Clan first. Now more than ever. Besides, I'm not looking for a mate at the moment."

Dew Nose still seemed uncertain, but Silver Stripe was thankful when she didn't say anymore. _Storm Pelt's my friend. That's all there is to it,_ Silver Stripe concluded.

"I'll go wake Slate up," Silver Stripe added. She whipped her tail, signalling for Dew Nose to go and wake another cat up.

Slate's nest was near hers, and she soon padded over to it. Nudging her mother with a gentle paw, Silver Stripe quietly asked, "We're going hunting, do you want to come?"

Her mother's eyes flicked open, and she gathered herself to her paws. Giving a soft shake of her thick gray fur, Slate replied, "All right."

They re-joined Dew Nose in the middle of the clearing, who had woken up Spotted Fur. The golden-brown tom's eyes were still heavily strained with sleep. _Windstar's extra patrols is tiring everyone out._ After Silver Stripe's return, Windstar had ordered extra patrols to be conducted along the border nearest to the barn and small forest. _Every cat is working hard, but how long can we keep it up for?_ Silver Stripe asked herself, unsure of the answer.

"Come on," Silver Stripe beckoned as she led the patrol out of the sandy hollow.

Ever since her confrontation with the dogs, Silver Stripe felt flickers of unease being outside of camp. Her mind whirled back to her dream. Haunted, she trembled. Forcing it out of her mind, Silver Stripe glanced upwards. The four Clanmates had exited the gorse tunnel and now rolling moors circled them on all sides. High above, the sky had become less pale, and the sun had begun to rise into the sky. As the sky started to transform to a light blue, a few small clouds fluttered around in the small breeze.

"It's a nice day again," Slate commented from behind Silver Stripe, making small talk.

Further back, Silver Stripe heard Dew Nose speak up, "It's weird, considering it should be leaf-fall now," she agreed with Slate.

Silver Stripe couldn't help agreeing with Dew Nose, despite their conversation earlier. The air felt weirdly light and had a lack of coolness about it. She was unable to figure out why.

"It could mean there's rain coming," Slate predicted.

"That would be nice," Spotted Fur purred. "It's been too hot recently."

Silver Stripe raised her tail for silence. She lipped her tongue over her jaw as a juicy scent caught in her nostrils. "I can smell rabbit." As Silver Stripe could only smell a single rabbit, she instructed, "Slate, you can come with me. Spotted Fur, Dew Nose, see if you find any lapwings near the gorge. I don't think anyone's hunted over there for a while."

"Shouldn't we stay in a bigger group," Spotted Fur pointed out.

Hesitating, Silver Stripe paused. _What do the other patrol leaders normally do?_ she inwardly speculated.

"The dogs might still be around," Spotted Fur continued, his tail streaming out behind him; it was obviously the dappled tom was on edge.

"Head further down the gorge's edge," Slate interjected. "They wouldn't go that far down."

Spotted Fur still looked unsure, his amber eyes glinting. But he dipped his head to Slate.

As Dew Nose and Spotted Fur padded away, Silver Stripe turned towards her mother. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Slate warmly purred. "I could tell you were unsure. Don't worry, it isn't easy leading your first patrol. And they should be fine that far down the gorge. I would be shocked if the dogs went that far down, after you said they were panicked by a speedy tom."

Once her Clanmates had finished smothering her, Silver Stripe had told them what had happened. Some of them found it hard to believe that the bright ginger tom had saved her. But she had insisted that it was true. Silver Stripe hadn't thought about the bright ginger tom too much since, but she wondered if she would ever come across him again. _I never got to thank him,_ she realised, with a shade of regret. _What if I do see him again?_

Bare moorland expanded from all around them as the two cats neared the strong smell of rabbit. The small breeze trickled against their muzzles as they prowled forwards. Partly hidden in a thicket of heather, they saw the rabbit. It was hopping in between stalks of grass, taking a few moments at each interval to nibble at the tops.

The stocky rabbit appeared to be plump, making Silver Stripe think that it would make a good meal for the Clan. _Perhaps it will help Holly's appetite._ Jagged Peak's grieving mate hadn't eaten much since his death. Overcome by grief, her and her kits had stayed in their den, which was one of the most sheltered gorse bushes in camp. Heather Tuft and Stone Gaze still hadn't returned to their previous selves. Instead, they always remained close to their mother, who didn't let them out of her sight. It was obvious that Holly was afraid that the same thing would happen to them that had happened to Jagged Peak. One thing was for certain, like a fleck of heather in the wind, their playful exuberance had vanished.

Breaking Silver Stripe from her thoughts, Slate tapped Silver Stripe's back with her tail, signalling that she was going to circle around the rabbit. The rabbit kept on springing around the patches of grass, unaware of the two hunters. Waiting for Slate, Silver Stripe lay crouched in the heather, readying to knock the rabbit down.

A shake in the far gorse made Silver Stripe realise that Slate was ready. Screeching, Slate came out of the gorse. The rabbit let out a shriek of bewilderment and immediately fled. But, instead of going towards Silver Stripe, the rabbit veered off. It was running towards the border that she had crossed four sunrises prior.

Not wanting the rabbit to escape, Silver Stripe sprinted from her bundle of heather, ignoring Slate's cry to leave it. Soon, the ground became a blur underneath her paws as she galloped to catch the rabbit. The rabbit was faster than her. Meaning, it quickly managed to pull out a convincing gap. The rabbit kept on thundering ahead, and, by this stage, she could barely see it. With a frustrated groan, she slowed, realising she had lost her prey.

Suddenly, there was a cat in the distance. As fast as a bolt of lightning, the lean figure darted straight for the rabbit. _That cat's faster than any WindClan cat!_ she gaped in amazement, halting to a standstill. Scared, the rabbit made a desperate attempt to turn and avoid the outstretched claws of the new hunter. Stunned, Silver Stripe realised that the cat's pelt was bright ginger. Hope swelled up from inside her. _Could it be the same tom?_

Wanting to find out an answer, Silver Stripe bounded over to the tom. Approaching, she saw the limp rabbit at his paws; its tasty smell teasing her senses. As she got ever closer, she was surprised to see that it was the same bright ginger tom.

Silver Stripe's voice caught in her throat as she gazed over the tom. Sunlight blazed over his ginger pelt, making his pelt glow like flames. _I've never seen a pelt that bright…_ A weird emotion stirred from inside her as she examined the tom's lithe, compact frame, and handsome face.

The humid air crackled with emotion.

"Hi…," Silver Stripe panted, not grasping how out of breath she had been. A nervous pit was forming in the depths of her stomach. "…You're the cat who saved me…"

"Yes…" he meowed rhythmically, his deep blue eyes brimming with interest. "I'm _Blaze_ , what's your name?"

"Silver Stripe…"

"That's a strange name…"

"So is Blaze…"

"I suppose it is…"

"Your pelt is very bright…"

"Thanks… Your stripes are… _beautiful_."

Blaze's bold blue gaze made Silver Stripe's pelt prickle. "Listen…" Blaze breathed.

Silver Stripe heard hurrying paw steps from behind her, getting closer and closer. They filled her with alarm. "That's my Clanmate. It's best you−"

Blaze's voice was suddenly more composed as he urgently meowed, "Can I meet you later? Just after moonhigh? How about here?"

Silver Stripe was unsure. _What will my Clan think? What will my family think? What would Storm Pelt think?_ "I don't know." She felt herself lurching on her paws, feeling troubled by the excitement she already felt for this mysterious tom.

Blaze had also heard Slate's thudding paw steps and had backtracked into a thicker section of gorse. Despite being hidden by it, he still manage to yowl out, pleadingly, " _Please!_ "

Not knowing whether or not she would actually meet with the strange bright ginger tom again, Silver Stripe called out, "Thanks for saving me!"

As Silver Stripe realised Blaze was gone, an unexplainable sadness blossomed in her chest. Once again, a mixture of emotions rippled through her: _Should I meet him later? He did save my life… The Clan… My family… What about Storm Pelt's feelings?_

Waiting for Slate, Silver Stripe sat there, daydreaming. The only thing Silver Stripe could imagine was Blaze's deep blue eyes and his flaming clumps of bright ginger fur. It was as though, Blaze was scorched in her mind. Previously, Silver Stripe had only seen him up close for a flash, however. This was different. Strange emotions of wonder and fascination were awakening from inside of her, and there was a definite strong urge to meet Blaze later.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:  
** Chapter 10, I feel like this is a good milestone. I definitely don't think it's as good as Chapter 9 was, but I didn't want this chapter to go on for too long. :D It was an interesting chapter, showcasing Silver Stripe's feelings for Storm Pelt and her new ones for Blaze. I hope you liked his name, because I certainly do. I hope the dialogue worked to show the awkwardness between them as they struggled to express their emotions. If anyone remembers, it's almost similar to when Clear Sky & Storm meet for the first time in The Sun Trail. The difference with is this is that the PoV is in the 'role' for this. C11 is already written, but I need to edit & possibly re-plan it. Btw, it should be shorter & will probably be released either on the weekend or in a week's time – I've got a couple of mocks to contend with, which I need to do some actual revision for. P  
Any thoughts/comments/opinions, regardless of size, are always appreciated! I love to hear anything, regarding this! And thanks as always for reading! :D  
 **3,391 words / 16,838 words for Silver Stripe's PoV / 32,883 total  
-UKEAGLECLAW-**

 ** _Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out my DA & Twitters at UKEagleclaw, featuring art, literature, and me. :D_**


	13. Chapter 11

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 11**

 _Behind Silver Stripe, there was a_ rush of paws. It was Silver Stripe's mother, Slate. She skidded to a stop. "Are you okay?" she meowed, brushing the side of her head with her daughter's. Sniffing, Slate added, "Can you smell that?"

 _I can't let her find out. I don't want her to be disappointed with me._

"Ah, no. I can't smell anything," Silver Stripe cautiously replied.

Slate gave Silver Stripe a long look. "Are you sure?" she pressed. As she crinkled up her nose in concentration, she added. "It smells like another cat."

Silver Stripe felt her heart thumping with tension as Slate neared the thicker section of gorse, which Blaze had disappeared into.

But before she got too close to the thicker section of gorse, Slate spun around to face her. "Did you see anything suspicions around here?" her mother lightly questioned.

"I don't think so," Silver Stripe responded.

All of a sudden, Silver Stripe realised the rabbit was still on the ground. She quickly whipped it up into her jaws, to prevent Slate from detecting anymore cat scent. Blaze's warm scent was still on the rabbit, and it made Silver Stripe's thoughts drift back to the handsome bright ginger tom.

Distracted, Silver Stripe hadn't realised that Slate had drawn closer. "Are you sure you're okay?" Slate asked, her eyes round with concern.

"Yes… Yes, I am," she spluttered through rabbit fur. "I caught the rabbit," she swiftly added, trying to appear more composed.

Slate gave her daughter a long concerned look. Perhaps she could tell that Silver Stripe was lying, perhaps not. "That you did," Slate purred.

"Yes." _I feel bad lying, but I don't know what else to do. Even I'm unsure about Blaze; he's so mysterious, but there's something about him. There's a feeling that I've never felt before._

But she wasn't sure what to do about Blaze yet. _Should I meet with him?_ she wondered. Besides, Silver Stripe felt as though she wanted no one else to find out about Blaze. A prick of paranoia struck her. _What if any of my Clanmates have seen him? What would happen to him?_ Silver Stripe wasn't confident in an answer. A lot of the Clan cats used to be rogues, but it didn't mean that they welcomed strange outsiders, especially ones who are stalking their borders.

"It should make a good meal," Slate went on. Then, one of Slate's ears tipped to the side. "You look out of it, do you want to see Moth Flight when we get back?"

Silver Stripe made sure to brush down her bushy fur as she turned towards her mother. "No, I'm fine," she meowed, shakenly.

Making sure the rabbit was secure in her jaws, Silver Stripe and Slate headed back to camp.

Returning to camp, Silver Stripe placed the limp rabbit onto the fresh-kill pile. Once they had each filled their bellies with a piece of fresh-kill, they went back out to hunt.

The sun moved in the sky as they prowled across the moor, searching for prey. It didn't take them long to catch a small rabbit; Silver Stripe dashed towards it, sending it into Slate's direction, who killed it with a fast bite to the neck. Not long after, Silver Stripe discovered a batch of mice underneath a grove of gorse. Swiping unsheathed claws, it didn't take long for the mice to come out. Squeaking in terror, they desperately tried to scramble to safety. Slate and Silver Stripe both pounced on several, some escaped, but they had managed to gather a good haul of them. The mice swung from their tails in Silver Stripe's mouth, whilst Slate carried the small rabbit, which they had left beside an overhanging rock.

As the sun began to dip over distant lands, thoughts of Blaze where reignited in her mind. The hunt had distracted her from the possible meeting at moonhigh. But now questions about whether or not to meet Blaze whirled around her mind.

Indecisiveness clung to her pelt as they headed down the hollow. The gorse tunnel was soon in view. The entrance of WindClan's camp reminded Silver Stripe of her kin. Her worries about Black Ear and White Tail had faded, but she was still looking forward to seeing them again.

As they came through the gorse tunnel, Silver Stripe was overjoyed to spot Black Ear and White Tail. They were sitting in the clearing, sharing tongues and prey. Silver Stripe bounded ahead of Slate, dropping the mice onto the fresh-kill pile. She then twisted around towards her brothers. Tail lifted in greeting, she quickly padded to them. Immediately, Silver Stripe butted them affectionately with her head.

"What's that for?" White Tail meowed in a quiet voice.

"Oh, I was just worried earlier," Silver Stripe explained. "You weren't in your nests."

"You know, we _can_ handles ourselves." Black Ear mumbled in between mouthfuls, showing a tiny bit of his familiar anger that had recently vanished.

Feeling warmed by Black Ear's grumpy behaviour, which had been his trademark before Jagged Peak's death, Silver Stripe tapped one of his black-pitched ears with her tail. "It's nice to see that you're back to normal," she told him, grinning.

"Well, it's _nice_ to see that you're just as patronising as ever," Black Ear retorted, jokingly.

Silver Stripe was about to cuff him with a forepaw, but there were paw steps coming from behind her. "I'm glad to see that you're all back to your daily arguments," their mother, Slate, purred, lovingly.

"I wasn't arguing," White Tail piped up in protest. "Those two are the ones _always_ arguing," he stated.

A small gray-and-white she-cat slowly brushed past them. "What about the one earlier?" Swift Minnow pointed out, in good humour.

"Oh, I suppose so," White Tail admitted. "If you count that as an argument."

Reed Tail, a silver tabby tom, who was padding alongside Swift Minnow, entered the conversation. "You made such a racket that I was surprised SkyClan didn't come running," he laughed.

One of Black Ear's ears twitched. "You thought _that_ was loud," he joked. "We've argued _way_ louder."

A blur of white and brown distracted Silver Stripe. Turning her head, she saw that Moth Flight had exited the medicine cat's den, which was a large gorse bush, secured by sticks and twigs, and was being followed by Windstar. _I wonder if they're talking about the dogs?_

Even so, it was a nice change of atmosphere in the WindClan camp. Cats bantered back and forth, namely Black Ear, which Silver Stripe wasn't surprised one bit at. Every cat seemed to be having a fun time, and Silver Stripe thought it was a nice contrast to the regular worrying and fear of the dogs.

 **\- SCENEBREAK -**

Shining stars decorated the sky above, and the moon was big and bright as it looked down on the cats below. The sandy hollow was drenched in silence. Silver Stripe had volunteered to guard the camp, and it appeared as though the entire Clan had gone to sleep. She sat, just outside the gorse barrier, contemplating:

 _Should I meet Blaze?_

 _What about the camp?_

 _He did save my life?_

 _But what if my Clanmates found out?_

 _What would they all say?_

 _Windstar, my friends, my family, and… Storm Pelt._

Despite this, there was just something about Blaze that made her fur prick up in excitement. But, after what Dew Nose had told her, she wasn't sure how it would affect Storm Pelt. Silver Pelt only thought of him as a friend, and she wasn't sure if that would ever change. _This could destroy our friendship..._ The stars twinkled above. _But Blaze did save my life – I should at least meet him once. I owe him that._

Silver Stripe tried to hold back her feeling of shame as she abandoned her guard post, hoping that her Clanmates wouldn't notice her disappearance. _I'll be quick,_ she promised herself, racing towards where she last saw Blaze.

As she retraced her paw steps to the meeting point, there was no sign of the bright ginger tom. Silver Stripe felt her heart sank. _Perhaps he isn't coming._ She prepared to turn back to camp. _It's probably for the best. After all, he must be a loner._

A swish in the nearby gorse alerted Silver Stripe's attention. Blaze padded out. The moonlight illuminated his glossy, bright ginger fur, causing it to look like sparkles of flame. She was taken aback with how it radiated off his pelt.

Silver Stripe wasn't sure why she felt nervous. Though, she could see that Blaze had groomed his fur, whilst her own must have looked dishevelled and filthy in comparison. Silver Stripe had been so caught up in thinking about whether or not to meet him, she'd forgotten to groom her fur beforehand.

"You came!" Blaze exclaimed, looking relieved. He shuffled his paws, kneading them through blades of grass. "I feared you wouldn't."

"You did save my life. I thought I owed you this meeting," she stated, not wanting to alter her neutral tone.

 _I don't know what to make of all this,_ Silver Stripe confessed to herself, her emotions were like a whirlwind.

"I'm just happy you came," Blaze purred, blinking warmly.

There was an air of awkward silence between them, but Silver Stripe couldn't resist looking at his gorgeous deep blue eyes, which looked at her with something she couldn't explain.

Snapping out of her trance, Silver Stripe remembered how Blaze had saved her, and it made a question fizz into her mind. "Why did you save me?" Silver Stripe wondered aloud. "Surely, it wasn't worth risking your pelt over."

Blaze eyed her, the borders of his eyes brimming with a slight sadness. "I couldn't just let some innocent cat get killed."

The intense wave of silence returned. But, despite needing to return to her guard post, Silver Stripe couldn't tear herself away from the fiery-coloured tom. Some strong feeling made her stay.

Blaze was giving her a curious look, his whiskers were twitching.

"Where do you live?"

"My Clan lives on these moors."

"What's a Clan?"

Silver Stripe waved her tail over the smudges of territory in the far distance. "There's WindClan, that's my Clan, SkyClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and ThunderClan. Every Clan have their own territory, and we meet at Fourtrees ever full moon. We hunt for our Clanmates and patrol our borders."

Blaze's tail swayed, uncertainly, flicking to and fro. He hesitated, then murmured, "Is there any fighting?"

"No one's fought in a long while. Our biggest threat now is those _dogs_ ," she growled. "They killed one of our cats."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Blaze murmured, sympathetically. As Blaze leaned closer, he gingerly rubbed her back with his tail. "Is everything else okay?" he asked.

Comforted by Blaze's calm and reassuring aura, Silver Stripe thought about her life, and it didn't take her long to reach her answer. "Yes," she meowed, confidently. "We look out for one another. All my Clanmates care about each other – we treat each other like family. I can't think of a better way to life."

Blaze's expression lit up. "That sounds good."

There was a sudden gust of wind, and Blaze adjusted his footing. It was barely much of a movement, but, as they were positioned so closer to each other, Silver Stripe could see a near-invisible scar along his flank, partly hidden by his flame-coloured strands of fur. The scar was long and thin and spread from his front leg to his back leg. It slightly cascaded in opposing directions, but it was primarily straight.

Shocked, Silver Stripe forced out, "That's a big scar. How−" _Should I continue? No, if he's hiding something that could endanger WindClan, I need to find out._ "−How did you get it?" Silver Stripe stammered.

A small growl emitted from Blaze's throat, "A _cat_ gave it to me." He stared back at her, his anger ceasing. "But I've moved on." He casually shrugged, however, Silver Stripe wasn't sure she believed him.

 _How could any cat get over something like that?_ Silver Stripe pondered.

The night sky was beginning to lighten above their heads. _How long have I been here for?_ It was as though time had sped up whilst she'd been with Blaze.

Realising that she had to return to the camp before anyone noticed her absence, she instantly told him, "Listen, I've got to go back to my Clan," Silver Stripe paused, "but why don't we meet again tomorrow?"

Silver Stripe knew that Blaze would agree, but it was still nerve-racking to wait for his response.

"Sure, I would love to," Blaze proclaimed, enthusiastically. Silver Stripe was surprised, but happy, when Blaze leant forwards further, brushing his muzzle against hers. "I really, really like you," he murmured.

For a moment, she forgot about WindClan, her friends, her family, and Storm Pelt. Instead, she became lost in Blaze's tranquil gaze. The tom's deep blue eyes were like a torrent of water. It made the wonder and fasciation that she felt for Blaze glow through, sweeping her off her paws. _He seems incredible…_ There was no one like him in WindClan. No one that made her feel this way.

"I like you, too," she purred back. Dazzled, Silver Stripe forced her paws to carry her away from him. "Good-bye, Blaze!" she yowled, savouring his warm scent. As she parted from him, she let her tail drift in the gentle breeze.

"Good-bye, Silver Stripe!" he called, waving his tail in farewell.

It didn't take too long for Silver Stripe to get back to camp. As she walked back, her thoughts were alight with images of Blaze. The bright ginger tom had become a permanent fixture in her mind. _There is something special about him,_ Silver Stripe admitted to herself. _I've never met a tom like him before._

Silver Stripe had just returned to her guard position, outside the gorse tunnel, when a voice sounded from behind her. "Are you okay?" the voice began. "I came out to check on you. You weren't here a little bit earlier – I was going to wake the camp." Concern glazed tom's eyes, swamping her with a terrible feeling.

 _Storm Pelt! What can I say to him?_

She wanted Storm Pelt to remain her friend, but she knew he'd be so hurt if she mentioned Blaze, especially after what Dew Nose had said to her. Silver Stripe told herself she would tell him some point later. "I had – I had to make dirt," she spluttered.

 _I'm sorry Storm Pelt._ Half-heartedly, Silver Stripe added to herself, _I'm doing this to protect you._

Storm Pelt appeared to be uncertain, but Silver Stripe was glad when he meowed, "Okay." But the guiltiness returned as her friend glanced at her. "Would you like some company?" he politely asked.

 _Stop!_ Silver Stripe's voice screamed inside her head. _This is only going to end badly for you!_

"Don't you want to sleep?" Silver Stripe replied, trying as hard as she could to tear him away from her.

That haunted look returned to Storm Pelt's eyes; it was the one she'd seen in him the days after the death of his father. "I have nightmares about Jagged Peak," he confided in her. "I still can't believe he's gone," Storm Pelt sighed. "I don't know what to do, Silver Stripe." She felt her heart breaking for her friend as he continued, "Holly and the kits are wallowing in their grief, Eagle Feather has just gotten really angry, and Dew Nose acts like nothing's happened." Storm Pelt wavered on his paws, becoming unsteady. "Everything's changed! I don't know what I should do or how I should react. My Clanmates offer their sympathies, but I can't help thinking he's gone, and I won't see him again." Storm Pelt looked more vulnerable than Silver Stripe had ever seen him. The strong and wacky tom that had taught her how to catch lapwings had vanished. Tears stemmed from his face. "I'm sorry, Silver Stripe. I don't what to burden you with all this – it's not your prob−"

"You're my _friend_ , Storm Pelt!" Silver Stripe declared, trying to push Blaze out of her mind for a couple of heartbeats. "Of course, it's my problem. If you're unhappy, than you can tell me."

Storm Pelt's sorrow-filled eyes met hers. But there was no spark, nothing like what Silver Stripe felt when she'd been meeting Blaze. Silver Stripe could feel her emotions twisting, when seeing Storm Pelt's eyes filling with affection. "Thank you," he murmured. "You're a great cat."

As Silver Stripe looked at Storm Pelt, she realised that he must love her to tell her all that. But she only felt friendship for the mottled gray tom. There was no strong, passionate knot in her chest like there was for Blaze. She couldn't explain why she felt this way – it just was natural to her.

 _Storm Pelt's my friend – and I hope he remains that way. I've got no clue how me and Blaze will turn out, but I think he feels the same as I do. Regardless, I want to see where it will lead. My heart says Blaze… but my head screeches Storm Pelt…_

With a small, determined sigh, Silver Stripe pushed her doubts out of her head.

 _I will follow my heart… I will meet Blaze again…_

* * *

 **Author's Notes:  
** Yay, character development for Blaze. :P This was a good chapter, especially since I was a little worried about it after my first edit. Plus, I'm personally someone who's never known much romance, so I hope Blaze & Silver Stripe was good for ya. In my opinion, I thought it was terrific, but I'm obviously biased. :P Their relationship/chemistry became less awkward in this chapter, and they were able to overcome their nervousness. I still feel sorry for Storm Pelt, and it'll be interested to see if Silver Stripe changes her mind about him or stays with Blaze. Two Oak Shade chapters are up next, and I'm very much looking forward to writing them. I'll aim for C12 to be out on Friday.  
MASSIVE thanks as always. Please comment/review/like/whatever etc. :D  
 **2,890 words / 19,728 words for Silver Stripe's PoV / 35,773 total  
-UKEAGLECLAW-**

 ** _Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out my DA & Twitters at UKEagleclaw, featuring art, literature, and me. :D_**


	14. Chapter 12

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 12**

 _"_ _What did you say, you piece_ of fox-dung!"

Enraged, Oak Shade stood face to face with a SkyClan tom; the black-and-orange tom-kit's golden eyes had turned into furious slits and his tail powerfully swung in different directions, portraying mad anger.

"You heard it the first time," the older, striped yellow tom flashed back, mockingly.

A growl erupted from Oak Shade's throat, "I'll turn you into scraps!"

"Why don't you head back to the nursery, _kit_?"

Tensing his muscles, he was about to leap onto the SkyClan tom.

"Oak Shade!" called a familiar voice. Oak Shade abandoned his stance as Lighting Tail bounded up towards them, dislodging clumps of turf with his paws as he raced towards the Bark Trail. Oak Shade could see the worry and apprehension in his racy movements. Within heartbeats, Lightning Tail came to a stop at Oak Shade's flank. The tom's eyes were wide with concern. "Are you okay? Noticing the SkyClan tom, in a tense tone, he added, "What's going on?"

Lip curled back, the striped yellow tom was sneering at him; it was an obvious sign that the SkyClan cat was disrespecting him.

" _That_ mouse-brain insulted me!" Oak Shade hissed, refusing to back down. The fur on the back of his neck was still bristled up and his claws were unsheathed. He was ready for a fight.

Before anymore insults could be exchanged, there was a rustle on the other side of the Bark Trail. From a neatly chopped bush, three more SkyClan cats emerged. The hackles on Oak Shade's back and neck rose even higher. A gray-and-white she-cat led the way, parting the leaves of the bush with her small frame. Two cats followed her, but they preferred to stay watching, disclosed in the shrubbery. Relieved at not recognising Skystar's scent, Oak Shade's fur fell slightly.

"Greetings, Lightning Tail." The gray-and-white she-cat lowered her head. "I'm sorry about the behaviour of Honey Pelt," she calmly meowed. "He's still young and has a lot to learn," she added, glancing at the back of his head.

"As am I, Quick Water," Lightning Tail answered, returning Quick Water's earlier gesture of greeting. "We'll be on our way," the black tom acknowledged. "May StarClan light your paths," he ended.

Oak Shade had kept his eyes pinned on Honey Pelt. But as Lighting Tail poked him with his tail, he spun around and followed the older tom back into the forest.

Once the SkyClan cats were out of earshot, Lightning Tail indicated for him to stop. "You can't go around provoking cats like that," he warned. "It'll only lead to trouble."

"It was nothing I couldn't handle!" Oak Shade retorted. "Besides, he was−"

"I'm tired of your excuses," Lightning Tail disciplined. "You know that you aren't old enough to handle a proper fight. It's unnecessary!" Lightning Tail exclaimed. "The Clans are at peace. We should be happy for it to remain that way," the black tom's lecture rambled on. "You need to control your anger better," he advised. Growing calmer, Lightning Tail began to head off further into the forest, flicking his tail over his body for Oak Shade to follow. "Let me show you something," he called. "It should help."

Knowing he'd get in trouble if he didn't, Oak Shade padded after Lightning Tail. The green forest extended out before him as he followed Lightning Tail through thick undergrowth. He had grown more familiar with how to handle the overgrown environment, and it was easier, than previously, for him to manoeuvre through it. Although as they progressed towards their destination, he became lost in his thoughts from earlier in the day.

Despite still being unsure about his loyalties, Oak Shade wished that Thunderstar or Violet Dawn had taken him out into the territory. But they had been busy. His mother, Violet Dawn, had told him that with Thunderstar being the Clan's leader, he can't be going off with him all the time. He was at least glad that Lightning Tail had offered to take him out hunting. The black tom was close with his father and had always treated him fairly and nicely. Even if he was still stinging from Lightning Tail's words, there were plenty of cats in ThunderClan that would have irritated him more.

Lightning Tail was waiting at the roots of an aging tree, hunched over. The black tom's eyes darted up as he heard Oak Shade coming closer. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry with you," he apologized, eyes glimmering with regret. "You're still just a _kit_."

Oak Shade felt a further stinging pain as he squirmed under Lightning Tail's words. _I hate how everyone thinks less of me because I'm still a kit!_ Indignation forced his jaw open. "Soon enough, I'll be more than a kit!" he yowled, puffing out his orange-patched chest.

His Clanmate's eyes filled with amusement, and he bent downwards to touch noses with Oak Shade. "One day, you will be. But for now, you must accommodate your lesser strength," Lightning Tail wisely advised.

Oak Shade's fur began to settle down. Then, his eyes fell upon the tree; it was bent over with age, and it looked as though it would tumble any heartbeat soon. "What's this meant to be?" he wondered aloud, already feeling bored. "When are we going to do some hunting?"

"This is a crucial lesson for any young cat," Lightning Tail explained. The black tom pointed his tail at the roots of the tree. "Collect the moss."

Moss covered the roots; it looked compact and soft and dry. _Must be because of the hot weather recently_ , Oak Shade thought. But it didn't faze the boastful tom-kit. "Easy," he snorted.

The black-and-orange tom-kit neared the roots of the tree. Observing the moss, he hastily leaned forwards. Instinctively, Oak Shade raised an unsheathed forepaw and slashed his claws down one of the tree's roots. Bundles of moss started to litter the forest floor. Numerous smaller strands also fluttered around, drifting off at random angles.

"Can we hunt now?" I'd rather be doing something more challenging," Oak Shade mewed. "It's quicker than saying mouse!" he added, rebelliously.

Lightning Tail pointed to the shredded moss with a black forepaw. "Look," he told Oak Shade, "at how scattered and broken the moss is. Your clawing method lacks precision and control. Do you get what I'm saying?"

With a slight uncertainty, Oak Shade slowly nodded.

"Try it again, more slowly, and keep your cutline straight," Lightning Tail urged him.

Oak Shade rested a forepaw at the bottom of another root, thinking about how he would keep his claw movement under control. First, Oak Shade reigned his claws in and out, to test his level of control. Second, slowly raising his forepaw into position, he sliced the moss, making sure he could always feel the root with the edge of his claws. The moss stayed intact; this time no bits were fluttering around the clearing, though the pile of moss was still a little messy.

"Good!" Lightning Tail praised. "That was a lot better!"

"If only I could try this on some _real_ prey," Oak Shade sarcastically responded.

Lightning Tail's black tail softly slapped against the side of his muzzle. "Good try," he joked. Lightning Tail's expression became more serious as he meowed, "Try it again – practise makes perfect."

Disappointed, Oak Shade's tail snaked along the forest floor, sending white dandelion fluff swirling into the air.

"Don't worry," Lightning Tail reassured him. "You'll get to test what you've learnt later on."

That made Oak Shade become more positive. "Okay," he mewed, brightening up.

Time passed as Oak Shade was taught how to perfect his clawing technique. Eventually, as the sun had risen high into the sky, the young black-and-orange tom-kit had grown competent in his ability.

"I think that's good enough for now," Lightning Tail told him. "Are you ready for some _real_ practise?"

"Definitely!" Oak Shade mewed, excited for the hunt ahead.

 **\- SCENEBREAK -**

From Oak Shade's eyes, the hunt had been an utter disaster. Frustrated, he lashed his tail against a tendril vine. In the time spent hunting, he had only managed to catch one measly starling.

"It's not even a full meal!" he mumbled underneath his breath. High above in the unreachable canopy, vibrant birdsong raked like claws against his ears. Patronised, Oak Shade yowled, "Shut up, you stupid birds!" For a heartbeat, the birds fell silent. But it didn't last long; their birdsong soon continued. "Even the birds aren't afraid of me," he grumbled to himself.

The thin, humid air sapped his energy as he padded towards camp. Lightning Tail had told him to go off on his own and hunt, whilst he did the same, and return to camp afterwards, so they could go back out later. But Oak Shade was reminded of his failure by the swinging starling in his jaw. It made Oak Shade's tail continue to lash in irritation as he prowled through a clump of bracken. Soon enough, he'd be back in camp, and it wasn't hard for him to imagine the victorious sneer that would cross Morning Fire's face.

"I'll show that she-cat," Oak Shade mumbled through the starling's light brown quills.

In his solitude, Oak Shade's thoughts went back to the events of last sunrise.

A day had passed since his confrontation with his father, Thunderstar, and he still felt unsure about Thunderstar's past. A knot in his stomach made it feel worse so than that sunset. _It all seems wrong,_ Oak Shade had repeated many times over in his head. _Can he be solely loyal to ThunderClan?_ Oak Shade wasn't sure. He'd heard plenty of stories about his father. In those stories, it was clear the respect Thunderstar held for the other Clan leaders. Would his respect for the other Clans hold him back? Would the mighty orange tom really be reliable in battle against his former Clanmates? Oak Shade adored his father, but he wanted proof of his father's loyalty to his Clan.

There was also Blue Whisker. Oak Shade had found out at the Gathering that she was one of Moth Flight's kits that had been scattered across the rest of the Clans. _How on earth will they manage to stay loyal to their Clans instead of each other?_ he dubiously mused. _If Spider Paw was about to rip my throat out, what would Blue Whisker do?_ Oak Shade had trusted the white-and-yellow she-cat. But everything had now changed; he didn't feel he could trust someone, who could easily betray him. _I must find out whether or not she's loyal,_ Oak Shade decided. _Maybe… Just maybe… I'd be able to accept her as a Clanmate._

A warm call sounded from deeper in the forest, breaking into his thoughts. "Oak Shade!" Hazel Burrow greeted, joyfully. The black-and-white tom bounded towards him, brushing blades of grass into the air. "How much have you caught?" Hazel Burrow eagerly asked.

Ashamed, Oak Shade looked down at the limp bird, which was feebly hanging from his jaw. "Only a starling," he muttered through a mouth of feathers. "It literally fell into my paws," he admitted.

"That still isn't bad!" Hazel Burrow encouraged, giving him a friendly shove. The warm black-and-white tom spun around. Over his shoulder, he mewed, "I'll see you back in camp, once I've collected my prey."

All of a sudden, a black tom prowled towards them. "We'll go back to camp now and come back out later," Lightning Tail mouthed through the pelt of a plump squirrel. As he saw Hazel Burrow, he added, "I hope you're doing something useful?"

"Of course, Lightning Tail. I'm hunting with Milkweed and Snail Shell." The black-and-white tom dipped his head, respectfully to the senior cat. With a flashing look at Oak Shade, Hazel Burrow hurried back into the forest to gather his prey.

Oak Shade turned his attention to Lightning Tail. When comparing his starling to Lightning Tail's fat squirrel, Oak Shade felt further disappointment well up inside of him. The squirrel was stoat and juicy, whilst, in comparison, his starling seemed small and scrawny.

 _If only I was bigger, I'd have even more power to rip my prey to shreds!_

"I only managed to catch a starling," he told Lightning Tail. Defensively, he lied through clenched teeth, "It was a good catch!"

Lighting Tail glanced back at him. "I'm sure it was," he purred. "Anyway, the Clan is well-fed at the moment, so it doesn't matter too much."

Oak Shade blinked. "How long do you think it'll be till I've grown properly?" Looking down at his paws, Oak Shade realised how gangly and lanky he appeared. But he also felt proud, to see growing muscles forming underneath his still fluffy pelt.

"About six moons," Lightning Tail estimated. "You know, Oak Shade, you should enjoy these younger moons whilst you can," he encouraged. "You're only a kit once, you can't be serious all the time!"

"I suppose," Oak Shade responded, his golden eyes glowing. "But I just want to serve my Clan to the best of my abilities."

Lightning Tail's green eyes shone back at him. "I'm sure you will!" he agreed. "If you're even half of your father, you'll be a great cat!"

Oak Shade was surprised by Lightning Tail's comment. _I didn't realise cats expect me to live up to Thunderstar's reputation._

 **\- SCENEBREAK -**

They headed back to camp, with Lightning Tail in the lead. It didn't take long for them to make their way down the ravine and into camp. Once in camp, Lightning Tail meowed, "Have something to eat and don't take too long. We'll go out again soon."

The broad-shouldered black tom dropped his squirrel on the fresh-kill pile and sat down in a shaded part of camp, which was partly covered by the camp's bramble wall. Similarly, Oak Shade deposited his starling on the pile. In its place, the black-and-orange tom-kit took a plump mouse and settled down in a patch of grass. Rays of sun warmed his pelt as he laid down to eat.

Halfway through his meal, Hazel Burrow returned to camp. The black-and-white tom gently placed his prey down on the fresh-kill pile. Then, blackbird in jaw, he padded over to Oak Shade. Hazel Burrow dipped his head in greeting, Oak Shade did the same, and sat down alongside Oak Shade. The toms were busy eating, so they didn't talk much, preferring to let the heat of the sun soak their pelts.

Gradually, after they had finished their prey, Blue Whisker came over to join them; she had just come back from a patrol. "Greetings," she mewed to them, softly flicking her tail along Hazel Burrow's flank.

It made Oak Shade's spine tingle. Beginning to feel uncomfortable, he scuffled his paws along the baked, sandy soil and tufts of grass. Blue Whisker had been nicer to him than Morning Fire and Shivering Rose had ever been. But Oak Shade's newfound knowledge about her had distorted his perceptions of his Clanmate.

Blue Whisker's translucent blue whiskers were glinting in the sunlight. "Did you catch anything good?" the white-and-yellow she-cat asked them.

Hazel Burrow shrugged. "Just the same old stuff," the black-and-white tom casually mewed.

As the conversation went on, Oak Shade thought he could smell a gorse and heather scent that sometimes drifts over from the direction of Fourtress. _It's the same scent from the Gathering!_ Alarmed, he shivered. _WindClan! Those rabbit-munchers!_

Blue Whisker, picking up on Oak Shade's uncomfortableness, asked, "Are you okay, Oak Shade?" The white-and-yellow she-cat looked concerned as she glanced at him. "You seem a little jumpy."

 _She's as good as Hazel Burrow's sister. But, for the good of all my Clanmates, I must find out whether or not she's loyal._

"How do you feel about being born in WindClan?" Oak Shade suddenly blurted out.

Hazel Burrow's expression transcended to shock, whilst Blue Whisker's whiskers just twitched. "I feel like I was born here," she casually answered. Hazel Burrow's foster sister seemed to be unperturbed by Oak Shade's unanticipated question.

"But don't you remember things from WindClan?" he countered.

"Not really," Blue Whisker murmured. "It was a long time ago. Other than the smell of heather, my mother, and littermates, I can barely remember much."

Before Oak Shade could challenge her further, Lightning Tail came padding up. "Time to go," he stated, interrupting any further questions Oak Shade could interrogate Blue Whisker with.

Oak Shade gathered himself to his paws, readying to join Lightning Tail.

"Can I come, too?" Hazel Burrow murmured.

"Of course," Lightning Tail warmly replied. He peered at Blue Whisker. "What about you?"

"I'm okay here," Blue Whisker replied, her usual tone suggesting she wasn't bothered by Oak Shade's enquiries. "Thanks for the offer though."

"No problem." Lightning Tail turned to Hazel Burrow and Oak Shade. "Let's go. We'll go mark the border first."

 **\- SCENEBREAK -**

Lightning Tail, Hazel Burrow, and Oak Shade were now deep in the forest, heading towards the border that faced away from Fourtrees. Ever since leaving camp, Hazel Burrow hadn't said a word to Oak Shade. The black-and-orange tom-kit presumed it was because of how he'd questioned Blue Whisker. _I had no choice!_ he told himself. _What if she betrayed us in battle? How would Hazel Burrow feel then?_

It didn't take them long to reach the border. Oak Shade could spot the plain and weirdly straight shapes of the Twolegplace in the distance. Protected by the overarching trees and deep undergrowth, Oak Shade thanked StarClan that they weren't any closer. As a monster made a loud, disgruntled noise on the Thunderpath, the three cats sprayed the border in ThunderClan scent and were about to go hunting.

But there was movement from the other side of the border, the bushes swishing and shaking. All three cats' ears perked up, and they twisted around to fix their eyes at the source of the noise.

Lightning Tail sniffed, drawing in scent. Instantly, he recoiled. Lightning Tail's broad head was shaking in disbelieve. Oak Shade inhaled scent for himself. It was cat scent!

At that moment, a scruffy black tom with jagged white markings appeared through the dense shrubbery; his green eyes were glazed with intense worry. The scruffy tom glanced over his shoulder. An orange tabby she-cat was slowly following him; the unkempt she-cat was unsteady on her paws. Panting with exhaustion, she swayed from side to side. Both cats were extremely tense as they slowly approached the three Clan cats.

Oak Shade could hear the start of a snarl coming from Lightning Tail's throat, but he ignored it. Compelled to find out who these cats were, Oak Shade asked:

"Who are _you_?"

Tenseness fading, the black-and-white tom drew closer. The tom's green eyes evenly matched the golden gaze of Oak Shade.

"My name is _Splinter_."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:  
** I've been really looking forward to writing Splinter's return in this chapter & the next, and I just had to end on a huge cliff-hanger. It was longer than I thought, and I did one extra edit for this. :P Anyhow, I had fun including the scuffle at the start, Lightning Tail, Hazel Burrow, and Blue Whisker. So I hope you enjoyed all that business! :D I'll probably post the next chapter on Sunday, so it isn't a long wait for you guys. Stay tuned to see what'll happen with Splinter & his mysterious companion. I wonder if anyone can guess who she is and what's wrong with her! And did you guess it was Splinter before the big reveal? I did add that Splinter has jagged white markings to explain his name. :D Feedback/comments always appreciated, regardless of length. Thanks for reading, peeps! :)  
 **3,137 words / 12,857 words for Oak Shade's PoV / 38,910 total  
-UKEAGLECLAW-**

 ** _Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out my DA & Twitters at UKEagleclaw, featuring art, literature, and me. :D_**


	15. Chapter 13

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 13**

 _"_ _My name is Splinter."_

The mysterious tom's name echoed in Oak Shade's ears.

"Y-You!" Lightning Tail snarled in clear disbelieve. "Why are you here?" he demanded.

Splinter was trying to appear calm and collected to the forest cats, as though not affected by Lightning Tail's aggression. Despite this, Oak Shade could see Splinter's tail dancing from side to side, and the scruffy tom's ears were twitching nervously.

Alongside Oak Shade, Lightning Tail's spiky-edged tail was thumping against the forest floor. The black tom was starting to sniff, raising his chin towards the dimming sky.

"There's no other cats with us," Splinter told him.

Lightning Tail snorted, "How can we trust you?"

"My mate is pregnant," Splinter revealed. "I wouldn't risk her safety," he stated.

"Fine!" Lightning Tail snapped, his black fur continuing to stand on end. "What do you want, then?"

There was a short period of brief silence. Splinter's head went down, dipping down towards the ground. Hesitantly, the black-and-white tom lifted it back up; his green eyes met the gaze of Lightning Tail, showing fresh determination. "We would like to join your Clan."

Taken aback, Lightning Tail looked disgusted. "What? After all you did to the Clans!" he growled furiously. "You've got some nerve!"

Stunned, Oak Shade stared upon the developing scene. _I've never seen Lightning Tail this angry before. Whatever this cat did must have been very bad._ Beside him, Hazel Burrow shared a similar gawp of surprise.

Then, Oak Shade's eyes were diverted to the orange tabby she-cat, who was struggling closer. The queen's face was narrowed in pain as she trudged closer. She waited before she was edges away from crossing ThunderClan's scent marks. "Please," she begged through gritted teeth. "For my kits." Oak Shade understood – the she-cat's belly was heavily swollen. He didn't know much about queens, but it didn't look long until the kits would be born. "I want them to be safe," she pleaded. "Cats are stronger in a group."

Lightning Tail's expression had altered into confusion and his breathing had slowed. "Splinter. Swallow." The names were forced out of Lightning Tail's mouth. "I can't forget what you both did. My Clanmates won't be able to either. But I don't want any kits to suffer."

"Thank you so much," Swallow rasped.

"This better not be some kind of trick," Lightning Tail warned them.

Splinter was eyeing Lightning Tail, his tail had stopped moving around so irregularly. "It isn't," the black-and-white tom answered, dispelling Lightning Tail's fears. He gestured towards his mate. "We just want what's best for our kits."

There was still a hardened glint to Lightning Tail's eyes as he observed them. "Still…" he began, "I can't promise anything," Lightning Tail responded. "It _will_ be Thunderstar's decision, and the Clan will have its say." The black tom swept a forepaw through some stalks of grass. "Quite frankly, I wouldn't let you join."

The two companions lowered their heads in acceptance. "All we want is a chance," Swallow murmured.

Lightning Tail dipped his head and turned away, prowling back to camp.

As Oak Shade began to spin around, he heard Splinter whispering to Swallow, "You and our kits will be okay." Peering back over his shoulder, he saw the two mates embracing and brushing muzzles. For a few moments, they stayed that way, but they were soon following the trio of ThunderClan cats.

Naturally, Lightning Tail led the way as they padded through the forest. All they could hear was the gentle rustling of leaves and prey among the bushes. Oak Shade was itching to hunt, but he knew that Lightning Tail wouldn't allow it.

Padding further, everyone had become lost in their thoughts, unsure of what to think about the situation. Oak Shade was sure that Lightning Tail was struggling with what to make of the two cats, who he clearly fiercely disliked. Behind Oak Shade and Hazel Burrow, Splinter was letting Swallow lean on him for support as they struggled through the thick undergrowth. They both looked thin, as though they hadn't eaten much recently. _They must have wanted to get here quick,_ Oak Shade predicted. _It looks like they barely hunted on the way. Or perhaps the humidity and heat affected them more when they were traveling._

"Have you heard of them before?" Oak Shade whispered in Hazel Burrow's ear, forgetting about his Clanmate's passive annoyance from earlier.

"I don't think so," Hazel Burrow whispered back. Oak Shade was relieved that his Clanmate had answered him. He hoped that Hazel Burrow would now realise that he asked Blue Whisker those questions for the good of his Clanmates.

Near silence lasted until they reached the top of the ravine. Oak Shade could see the sun starting to drop down; its rays were still spread wide over the forest, but there were longer shadows beginning to form. The air still felt light, and Oak Shade had to breathe in and out, rapidly, to regain his composure. This made him feel an ember of concern for Swallow's unborn kits. _They must have travelled such a long way... And she's pregnant!_

"Can you manage?" Lightning Tail asked Swallow, a touch of concern entering his voice.

"Yes," Swallow panted, her belly beating against the faint outline of ribs. "I'm alright," she muttered. "I just need to get my breath back."

"Are you sure?" Splinter questioned her, in a concerned tone. He licked the top of his mate's head. "If you feel you can't do it, I'll find you another way down."

"I'm just worn out," Swallow answered him, heaving out exhausted breaths. "I know, I _can_ do it." Her amber eyes shone with spirit, but it was obvious her body was telling her different. The queen's pelt looked as though it was clinging to her bones. She was tiny for a cat soon to give birth.

"I'll be at your side," Splinter reassured her. He raised his head to glance at Lightning Tail, who stood a couple of paw steps away but, like Hazel Burrow and Oak Shade, had been listening to the entire conversation. "Lightning Tail," Splinter reluctantly started to ask, "could you help guide her down?"

Oak Shade guessed that Splinter was nervous about asking Lightning Tail for help. In case, he refused. But Splinter's scruffy appearance and tenseness showed how much they must have been through to get here. It was clear the black-and-white tom didn't want to risk losing his mate and kits so carelessly.

For a heartbeat, it seemed like Lightning Tail might have refused, however, the black tom edged over to Swallow's side. "I'll do it," he murmured, "but it's for the kits."

Swallow looked unsure. Oak Shade presumed she was scared to let the strange Clan tom touch her. But she looked too tired to argue. Besides, Splinter was right. She was too weak to only be taken down the ravine by one cat.

Before they began their descent, Lightning Tail turned to Hazel Burrow. "Go and tell Thunderstar that: Splinter and Swallow are here; Swallow's pregnant."

Hazel Burrow swiftly nodded and dashed down the ravine, throwing up dust, as he moved down the rocky verge.

Then, Lightning Tail rotated around to face Oak Shade. "Stay ahead of us. Make sure the path is steady. You're our guide."

He nodded in response, warmed by the trust Lightning Tail had in him. "Okay."

With Oak Shade checking the rocky slope ahead, to make sure there wasn't any dislodged stones that could cause Swallow to slip, the four cats slowly and carefully zigzagged their way down the slope. As they had to adjust for any pockets of loose rocks, it took a lot longer than usual. Even so, as the sky started to change colour, they got to the bottom.

"Phew," Oak Shade quietly thought aloud. "That was tense."

Swallow was unsteady on her paws as she gathered herself just outside camp. Weakly swaying from side to side, it looked as if she was about to collapse. Splinter clung to her flank. He gave a soothing lick to the side of her muzzle. "Nearly there," he comforted.

Despite his earlier help, Lightning Tail wasn't so sympathetic. "Come on," he grunted. "If you want to join, you'll have to get this over with."

The black tom plunged into the gorse tunnel, leaving Oak Shade to follow. Behind him, Splinter helped Swallow plod through.

As soon as he had entered the entrance tunnel, Oak Shade could hear ear-piercing growling from the other side. _Lightning Tail isn't the only angry one._

Sunlight reached his black-and-orange pelt as he exited the tunnel. Oak Shade jolted a little in shock. The Clan had formed its own barrier of bristling brambles; his Clanmates had stretched out in front of him, hissing and growling and snarling at the approaching duo of rogues. The crowd of ThunderClan cats had advanced up to the gorse tunnel, only letting a few spare tail-lengths between themselves and the entrance. Hackles raised, Thunderstar was standing at the centre of the line; Violet Dawn and Hazel Burrow were positioned next to his father on either side.

Lightning Tail had been waiting for him. The black tom jerked his tail towards Thunderstar, gesturing for him to sit beside him. Ducking his head and flattening his ears, in an attempt to cancel out the screeching, Oak Shade padded to his father. Lightning Tail went to stand on the other side of Violet Dawn. Meanwhile, Oak Shade squeezed between Hazel Burrow and his father.

Splinter and Swallow exited the tunnel. The caterwauling had grown to a furious, intense, wild pitch. It scratched against Oak Shade's ears. Unable to believe how enraged his Clanmates had become, he scanned his eyes down the side of the crowd; every cat was mad with fury. He couldn't understand why everyone was acting like this. em _Loyal cats will make our Clan stronger_ , he naively thought, _and Swallow's kits could make strong additions!_

Gazing back at the two rogues, Oak Shade saw that their fur was bushed out in terror. Panicked, Splinter had pulled himself in front of his mate. The black-and-white tom's back was now arched. Fiercely, he spat at the hostile cats, his tail thrashing against the stumps of grass. Fear-scent had started to flow from the two rogue cats.

Next to Oak Shade, Thunderstar raised a massive white forepaw. "Silence!" he bellowed. Following this, he glanced further down the barrier of cats. "Lightning Tail, Owl Eyes, Clover, Thistle, Apple Blossom, go check the border," Thunderstar commanded, flicking his tail.

The five cats streamed out of camp; their paws thundered against the ground as Lightning Tail entered the lead. They were obviously worried about finding anymore rogues, and Thunderstar sending five cats supported this.

An uneasy tension quickly rested over the Clan, occasionally raptured by the shifting of paws or the flexing of claws.

"Why are you here?" Thunderstar asked calmly, his tail rested over his forelegs.

Splinter had relaxed a little but his and Swallow's pelts were still on edge. The black-and-white tom straightened up, staring, as boldly as he possibly could, at the leader of ThunderClan. "We wish to join your Clan."

Outraged shouting exploded from the crowd:

 _"_ _I don't believe it!"_

 _"_ _They can't be serious!"_

 _"_ _After what they did!"_

 _"_ _We should kick them out!"_

One of Thunderstar's big white paws was once again raised. "Quiet!" the muscular orange tom commanded. The frenzied screeching stopped, and Thunderstar faced Splinter. "Why should I? he growled. "Aren't you one of _Slash's cats_?"

It hadn't. But now Oak Shade's pelt spiked up in anger. _Slash!_ he realised. _That's why Lightning Tail became so agitated!_ Like every Clan cat, Oak Shade had heard about how Slash had terrorised the Clans. He was sickened. _They've not right to join ThunderClan!_

Swallow lumbered forwards, exposing herself from Splinter's protection. "We _were_ Slash's cats," the orange tabby piped up weakly.

Puzzled, Thunderstar stared at her with confused eyes. "Do you mean?"

"Yes−" Swallow wheezed, letting out hoarse coughs.

Splinter licked the blade of her shoulder. Then, the black tom with jagged white markings gazed at Thunderstar. The tom's green eyes were clear and steady as he meowed, "Slash is dead."

After the revelation, there was a stunned gasp from every cat. No one could believe that Slash was dead. They had all hoped he would never come back, but this was even better news.

Thunderstar's eyes narrowed. "Really?" he meowed uncertainly. "How did he die?"

"Slash only cared about himself," Splinter snarled, showing sudden contempt for his former leader. "All the prey _we_ caught – he would hog to himself." Splinter paused. "I admit it." The venom in his snarl lessened. "I thought Slash was a good leader, but I was _wrong_." The snarling in Splinter's voice firmly rose. "He became selfish! When I told him that Swallow was _pregnant_ −" The black-and-white tom shuddered. "−he told me that−" Splinter's eyes closed for several long heartbeats, before finally re-opening them. They were entrenched with deep pits of horror. "−he would drown _them_ … That _they_ would be too weak… That _they_ would hold everyone back... That _they_ would get in the way…"

There was no shuffling of paws now. Instead, every cat was horrified; their eyes stretched, sharing Splinter's terror. As Splinter paused, Swallow stretched towards her mate, brushing her muzzle lightly against his.

With a sigh of hopelessness, Splinter continued, "I caught a rabbit – they were his favourite piece of prey – and I hid some _nightshade_ inside of it."

There was a horrified murmur from Cloud Spots, "You _poisoned_ him!"

"Yes," Splinter choked out, his voice growing shaky. "We knew he'd _never_ let anyone leave−"

An average-sized black-and-white tom strode out of the crowd. "You're _just_ as bad as Slash is!" Leaf hissed. The tom's pupils had turned into furious circles.

"Silence, Leaf!" Thunderstar ordered, cranking his tail.

Submissively, Leaf prowled back into the throng of cats.

"Why did you have to kill him?" Thunderstar asked.

Splinter gulped. A couple of heartbeats passed until he was composed enough to begin the story. "There _was_ a cat called Fog. She had only just recently joined the group. She told Slash that he shouldn't be having more fresh-kill than everyone else and that she _was_ going to leave. Slash went crazy, started going on about how he wasn't appreciated by everyone. Fog _started_ to leave," Splinter flinched, "but Slash went for her. He held her down and ripped her throat." Splinter shook his head, as if to clear away the horrific memories. "I _realised_ what Splinter was that day – _pure evil_."

"Every Clan cat hated Slash, and I don't blame you for killing him." Thunderstar's clear amber eyes jumped between Splinter and Swallow. "Still," Thunderstar hesitated, "that can't excuse what _you_ helped him do to the Clans."

Splinter became sincere with regret. "We _were_ fools for joining that _fox_!" The black-and-white tom edged closer to the ThunderClan leader, his ears and tail were twitching nervously. "We're _sorry_ for what we did," he apologised, bowing his head to Thunderstar. "Please! I beg you! Swallow's pregnant, and we've travelled a long way; she can't go on much longer without rest." Splinter pleaded. "We know that our kits would be stronger and safer in a group. If you let us stay, I'll hunt more than enough prey for the both of us." Splinter had lowered himself to a crouch, letting his tail droop along the ground.

Thunderstar regarded them with an unsure glance. "Well…"

"If anything, just let us stay until Swallow has kitted," Splinter added. "I'll do anything you want," he begged. "I _just_ want my mate and kits to be _safe_."

"Cloud Spots!" Thunderstar called. "What do you think?"

The long-furred black tom with white ears, chest, and two forepaws studied Swallow from a distance. "He's right," ThunderClan's medicine cat convincingly acknowledged. "She's exhausted, and she _won't_ survive long without rest and shelter." The senior tom leaned closer, inspecting Swallow's swollen belly. "The kits don't look too far away, either," Cloud Spots added.

Thunderstar examined Swallow for himself, stepping closer towards the orange tabby queen. Oak Shade could see through his own eyes that Swallow was worn out; the journey had clearly taken its toll on her. Swallow's eyes were unfocused and glassy, and she was staggering from paw to paw, as if struggling to stand. It didn't look like she'd last much longer in the wild. Her fur, like Splinter's, was dull, scruffy, and dishevelled.

Their leader's gaze drifted back to Splinter. For a heartbeat more, he regarded the messy black-and-white tom and his shattered mate. Thunderstar blinked, remembering buried memories. The orange tom's eyes flung open. "I won't let innocent kits die," Thunderstar decided. "Until they are old enough to leave, you can stay."

From ear to tail tip, Splinter was drenched in gratitude. "Thank you!" he exclaimed, letting out a loud sigh of relief. "Thank you so much! We won't disappoint you."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:  
** I've been looking forward to writing Splinter & Swallow's return for a while now, and I'm glad I finally got to this stage. And I hope it was a good bombshell for you peeps. One thing I'm going to immediately say that despite his death, I made Slash have a lot more prestige and more notoriety as a villain than what he did in DotC. I decided to kill him off as I thought he was a very mediocre and disappointing villain in Dotc, who didn't live up to what he said. Honestly, I just didn't think he was worth using. Meh, I might do a novella or a one-shot on his death of how he becomes fat and greedy. Slash's Obesity. :P

Plus, I'm very happy with this chapter, and I've got some new blood to help ThunderClan bolster their ranks. If anyone's like, why are Swallow and Splinter not being all hostile, angry, etc.? It's more because after realising they were going to have kits, and seeing Slash's response to both that and him murdering Fog, they realised that he was a terrible/crazy leader, who had failed to improve their lives. And as they'd rather remain in a group, Swallow and Splinter returned to the Clans to hopefully raise their kits in the shelter of ThunderClan. They chose ThunderClan because of its forest territory, and they believed Thunder would be more accepting than any of the other leaders, who have woodland territory. Of course, that's very true. :P I dunno what'll happen with the rest of Slash's group. Splinter had a cool name, so I chose him for the role, and Swallow, I think, was the only she-cat.

And again I thought Lightning Tail had an awesome chapter. I'm hoping I wrote him as authentically as possibly, as I do with all the DotC characters. Lightning Tail's role in this chapter and the last were a later addition to my C-by-C plan, but I'm glad I included him. It gave me a chance to display his 'uncle-like' relationship with Oak Shade and get him an important role in meeting the rogues.

Mega thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Comments, regardless of length, are _always_ appreciated! :D Thanks again! Have a nice day! :D And woah, we're on more than 40 thousand! Still can't quite believe it. :P  
 **2,816 words / 15,673 words for Oak Shade's PoV / 41,726 total  
-UKEAGLECLAW-**

 **Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out my DA & Twitters at UKEagleclaw, featuring art, literature, and me. :D**


	16. Chapter 14

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 14**

 _Silver moonlight glowed down on the_ two cats below, soaking their pelts in rays of luminous light. Wide-eyed, the two cats, a tom and a she-cat, sat close, fur touching, watching the star-spread sky.

The tom turned his head to face the she-cat. "I was told wildcats like _you_ were ferocious," the bright ginger tom let out a loud, teasing purr, "but here we are watching the sky at moon high."

Ever since their first meeting, Blaze and Silver Stripe had kept coming each night to the same spot, talking and gazing and appreciating the beautiful strand of stars. Silver Stripe's wonder and fascination of the bright ginger loner had only intensified. Even if she felt tired or worn out, she couldn't resist meeting Blaze. When thinking of the friendly tom, fresh energy shot through her body.

"Oh, I can be _ferocious_ ," Silver Stripe playfully answered, with a mock growl. The pale gray tabby flashed open her mouth, revealing rows of sharp-edged teeth.

She stared at the bright ginger tom, taken away further with how his pelt was illuminated in the shining moonlight. Orange flashes, resembling the colour of flames, radiated from his pelt. Deep blue eyes slowly blinked at her. As she always did, she found herself getting lost in his unbelievably irresistible deep blue gaze.

Blaze's whiskers mischievously twitched. "Prove it," he replied challengingly.

Bunching her muscles, Silver Stripe immediately leapt at Blaze. Her sheathed forepaws collided against his body, causing them to tumble down a small slope. Wrapped together, they slid down the slope, flickering through blades of grass, fragrant flowers, and swathes of heather. Eventually, their momentum ended, because they had spilled onto a heap of soft grassland. Limbs-crossed, they awkwardly remained in the bundle of fur; Blaze's hind leg was in her face, and she felt his whiskers poking her side.

As they coordinated themselves free from the tangle, Silver Stripe could smell Blaze's sweet scent rolling over her. "Perhaps I was wrong," Blaze softly purred, brushing his muzzle with hers as they both got to their paws.

Silver Stripe let out a _mrrow_ of laughter. "You sure were."

Blaze glanced up at the everlasting pool of stars, and the moon that was a crescent in the dark, night sky. The tom didn't reply with anything for a short number of heartbeats. All of a sudden, he asked, "Can we go to Fourtrees?" Blaze scrabbled his paws along the grass, and he pressed forwards with a meow, reminding her, "You said you'd take me there."

In their regular nightly meetings, Blaze had asked Silver Stripe more about the Clans and their lifestyles. She gladly told him what is was like living in a Clan: the bonding, the friendship, the hunting… The list was too long for Silver Stripe to count. They had a shared hope that Blaze would eventually be able to join the Clan, but Silver Stripe was very unsure at how Windstar would react, particularly with the threat of the dogs still looming over WindClan.

"Silver Stripe?" Blaze murmured worryingly. "Fourtrees?" He gave her another worried look, asking her, "There's nothing wrong, is there?"

Her mind had gone off on a spiral, but Silver Stripe now recalled the night before. She had promised Blaze that they would go to Fourtrees, the place where the Clans shared tongues every full moon. Ever since she had started telling him about the Clans, Blaze had wanted to visit the sacred Clan landmark.

"Of course!" she purred, brushing her tail along his handsome face. "We'll set off straightaway."

Blaze tipped his head to one side. "I've also been told that I'm the fastest cat around," he bragged good-naturedly. "You've told me how ' _fast_ ' WindClan cats are. Want to put that to the test?" he asked, his deep blue eyes gleaming with challenging enthusiasm.

Silver Stripe nodded, accepting the request. "We'll see about that," she meowed. "No cat is quicker than WindClan!" She pointed with her tail to the far forest, which lay beyond Fourtrees. "It's in a hollow between the forest and the moor."

Blaze didn't reply. The bright ginger tom stiffened, staring right ahead. It showed to Silver Stripe a competitive side. _Meh, I don't like to lose either. Especially when WindClan pride is on the line!_ She strained her muscles and readied to speed off.

However, before they could agree a start time, Blaze raced forwards, dashing away into the darkness. Silver Stripe was forced to accelerate rapidly, and she nearly tripped over an anthill. As her pace increased, the moorland gradually became a blackened smudge underneath her quick moving paws.

Before too long, Silver Stripe was beginning to catch up on Blaze. Realising this, she put extra bouts of energy reserves into her run, galloping ever faster. Gradually, she managed to catch up with him. As they ran side by side, she panted, "That was a sly trick."

"You should have been paying more attention," Blaze protested cheekily between strides.

Just as Silver Stripe was beginning to edge ahead of Blaze, the bright ginger tom put on an additional burst of speed, storming towards Fourtrees' hollow. She let out a frustrated sigh, _I'm never going to catch him now._ Starting to slow, she realised, _I've lost!_ Though Blaze had cheated, so it wasn't clear if he would have won under fair circumstances.

Soon, she neared the surrounding ridge of Fourtrees, which circled around the great clearing. As time went on, Silver Stripe graced into a slow trot, aware of the downhill slope that headed down to Fourtrees itself. But, as Blaze sprinted ahead, he hadn't been aware of this. Instead, the bright ginger tom hurtled down the slope, skidding down its slant. Silver Stripe chuckled as she heard Blaze _mrrow_ in surprise. Obviously, the tom hadn't planned for the sharp slope, and he had toppled down into the hollow.

While she padded down the slope towards the central clearing, Silver Stripe saw Blaze rolling down the small slope. "Silver Stripe!" he called out, shaking his pelt vigorously as he got to his paws. "You could have warned me about that," he panted, short of breath.

"I'm sorry, I forgot. And you know, it's similar to how you forget to mention your head start," she joked, regaining her breath from her slower approach. Getting within paw steps of the bright ginger tom, she leaned towards him and nudged him with a forepaw. "Well, this is Fourtrees," she stated, changing the subject. For several moments, Silver Stripe let Blaze take in the grand nature of Fourtress. Then, she enquired, "What do you think?"

The four gigantic oaks towered into the sky, as though becoming one with the stars. Shades of moonlight glowed off the light brown tree trunks, and the leaves swayed in the near absent wind. The air was tight and hot, for the cooler time of night, as the two cats continued to retrieve their energy after their long sprint. Underneath the canopy, the Great Rock rested, in main view of silverpelt above.

It made Silver Stripe wonder if StarClan could see her and Blaze. _What would they think of our relationship?_ she contemplated. Even so, she knew that her and Blaze weren't causing any harm to any cat, and we're both happy in each other's company. She was managing to keep up with her duties for her Clan, and the dogs hadn't been scented for a while. _Everything's looking up,_ she optimistically believed.

Encouraged, she turned to look at Blaze. Looking amazed, his features were stretched broadly. The tom's jaw was open wide and his eyes were focused out in awe. He definitely was astonished by the unimaginable sight. "It's beautiful," he finally breathed. "I've never seen anything quite like it!" he exclaimed, his voice regaining its usual bravado. "You're so lucky!" Blaze exclaimed. "I wish I'd been born in your Clan," he admitted. In the glimmer of the moon, Silver Stripe could see his eyes glazing over. "Then, I'd be able to see you even more," he sighed affectionately.

"Don't worry," Silver Stripe reassured him, twirling her tail around his. "Once the dogs have been dealt with, I'll ask Windstar if you can join. I think she'll be too worried at that moment to accept any new cats."

Blaze's eyes gleamed, reflecting starlight. "Okay," he murmured. "I suppose, we've got the rest of the night," he purred warmly. "Just to spend _some_ time with you is enough for me."

Silver Stripe felt her heart explode with delight. Blaze really was a remarkable, one of a kind tom. There wasn't a tom like him in WindClan; there wasn't a tom with his alluring, mysterious scent. He was a one-off tom, and he felt the same intense emotion towards her as she did for him.

 _Is this love?_ Silver Stripe realised. _To care about another cat this much?_

Tails twinned, they settled down in between the roots of one of the great oaks. As they normally did, they shared tongues and relaxed in each other's company. The softness of Blaze's bright ginger pelt, the sweet lingering of his scent, the gentle rising and falling of his body relaxed her.

Slowly, Blaze dozed off to sleep. His ears, whiskers, and paws twitched, as if he was experiencing a chaotic dream. Ginger tufts of fur, usually hidden from direct view, from Blaze's underbelly were exposed to her.

Forever it seemed, Silver Stripe laid observing Blaze's warm, shallow breathing. She rested her head back, looking up at the sky. Ribbons of stars lay above, lightening the blackened sky. _I could stay like this forever_ , she determined, _with Blaze at my side._

Made drowsy by Blaze's gentle heartbeat, Silver Stripe drifted off, succumbing to sleep.

Pale dawn lights flittered down from the gaps in the above canopy. Silver Stripe hurried to her paws, worried about how her Clanmates would react if they saw that she wasn't in her nest. In deep sleep, Blaze hadn't moved a muscle as Silver Stripe had rose to her feet; the tom's flanks were still rising and falling.

 _He looks so peaceful…_ Silver Stripe thought. _But he'd want to say good-bye._ She woke him up by tapping a forepaw along his side. "I have to go," Silver Stripe whispered to him, regret clear in her voice. "Good-bye, Blaze."

 _If I could, I'd spend every heartbeat with him._

Blaze looked saddened, but he knew that she had to go back to her Clan. He'd grown accustomed to it – Silver Stripe regularly returned to her Clan around or before dawn break – so at least, he was familiar to it. Blaze swiftly got up, letting out a tired yawn. Silver Stripe thought he looked cute with clumps of his fur sticking out, making him look unkempt and scruffy. The two young cats rubbed noses, embracing the other cat.

"Good-bye, Silver Stripe," Blaze repeated their usual farewell exchange. "See you later."

"I'll be looking forward to it."

They gazed into each other eyes' longingly for a couple more moments. With regret, Silver Stripe forced herself away from Blaze, racing back to camp as fast as she could. She did her best to ignore the suffering in his eyes as she darted away. _I've got to get back to camp in time!_

On her way back to the hollow, Silver Stripe sent a silent prayer to StarClan, hoping that they would keep her Clanmates in their nests. Also, that they didn't disapprove of her relationship with Blaze.

Heading around mounds of boulders and thicker patches of heather and gorse, Silver Stripe rushed back to camp. Her paws ached from how fast she was running, from now and the night before. She even spotted a young rabbit, snacking on some berries, but, in her haste, was too worried about being discovered outside of the camp boundary.

As she rounded a tall gorse bush, Silver Stripe reached the top of the ridge that surrounded the hollow. She paused to regain her breath. Even now, in the morning, the air still felt thin and humid.

Her nose twitched. Instantly, she ducked. Prone in the moorland grass, she saw the camp entrance. Out came a group of her Clanmates, it was the dawn patrol. _Thank you, StarClan!_ she expressed her gratitude that the small dashes of wind had been blowing towards her, allowing her to scent her Clanmates coming through the gorse tunnel.

Fortunately, Silver Stripe's campmates headed in the opposite direction to which she was crouched. Standing, she sent yet another wordless message of thanks to her overwatching ancestors. Her Clanmates had disappeared beyond the outlining ridge, becoming distant specks and dots. Though she still saw it safer to strafe around the side of the camp and go through the dirtplace tunnel, her regular route in and out of the sandy hollow.

Luckily, there weren't any stirring cats as she snuck into the camp's central clearing. Just to be sure that Windstar wasn't already awake, Silver Stripe glanced up at the Tallrock; there was no proud figure rested atop it. Then, she moved slowly and carefully over to her nest, extremely cautious not to wake any of her Clanmates.

Silver Stripe quickly curled up into a ball in her nest, hoping that no one noticed her disappearance in the night. Black Ear and White Tail were still snoozing in their nests, not far away from hers. _I hate lying to them, but they wouldn't understand, especially Black Ear._ This made her peer over towards Storm Pelt's nest. The mottled gray tom was fast asleep in his nest, his nose tucked under his thick, bushy tail.

As she'd waken up in the night to see Blaze, Silver Stripe hadn't had as much sleep as some of the other cats. Pads tingling with discomfort, she soon fell into a short sleep.

Blinking through beams of penetrating sunlight, Silver Stripe saw a cat's blurry silhouette standing over her. "We've all been asked to join Fern Leaf's training session," the familiar voice meowed. It was Black Ear.

"Ugh, okay," she replied, still drowsy from sleep.

Silver Stripe made out her other littermate, White Tail, timidly shifting his paws next to Black Ear. "Silver Stripe," White Tail began awkwardly, "your fur looks quite−"

"What he's trying to say," Black Ear bluntly interrupted, "is that it looks like you've been through a rabbit burrow."

In her mad rush back to camp, Silver Stripe hadn't worried about grooming her fur. "Oh, thanks, Black Ear," Silver Stripe responded sarcastically. She gave herself a couple of quick licks and flicked sleep with a hind leg from the corners of her eyes. "Alright, I'm coming."

 **\- SCENEBREAK -**

On a stretch of bare grassland, Fern Leaf was conducting her training session. The scarred black she-cat had been joined by Gorse Fur, Silver Stripe, Black Ear, and White Tail. Gorse Fur had been to a number of the training sessions and had become the most experienced trained cat alongside Fern Leaf. Meanwhile, this was the littermates' first training session of which would help them defend themselves and WindClan from the dogs. Silver Stripe stood at the end of the line, with the other participating cats. White Tail was next to her, twitching nervously.

"The key to fighting the dogs," Fern Leaf began, "is to outnumber them. As Gorse Fur's patrol found out, there's only four of those brutes to deal with. Therefore, we can confuse them. When we battle the dogs, three to four cats will _surround_ a single dog and use the techniques I'm going to teach you to kill it," she lectured to them. Fern Leaf flicked her tail. "Gorse Fur will act as one of the dogs. You three must take him down."

Gorse Fur padded out from the row and stood in the centre of the clearing. Fern Leaf kept her eyes peeled on them as she continued, "Plan and _decide_ your strategy."

The three littermates entered a tight huddle, fur brushing. To make sure Gorse Fur wouldn't hear, they lowered their voices. "We should straight out attack – take him by surprise," Black Ear meowed, raising his voice, he added, "He won't see it coming!"

White Tail slowly shook his head. "Like Fern Leaf said, we should surround him. It'll confuse him, and he won't be able to protect himself from three sides," the nervy tom reasoned.

"That's what he'll expect!" Black Ear exclaimed. "He heard what Fern Leaf said, too!" the overconfident and headstrong tom disagreed.

White Tail slanted his head to its side. "It's too unpredictable," he argued. "What do you think, Silver Stripe?"

She had been too busy daydreaming about Blaze. _I'll meet him later,_ she mused. _I've got to focus on the present._ As she hadn't heard the question properly, she meowed, "Sorry, what was that?"

White Tail quivered. "I was just asking what you−"

Black Ear stared at her with sibling anger. "She was too busy _mooning_ over Storm Pelt, isn't that right?" he interrupted jokingly.

"That's not true!" she gasped. _Don't let him think that!_ Her anger towards Black Ear was replaced by her worry of Storm Pelt and the Clan finding out about Blaze.

She sensed further disagreements were about to carry on between them, but Fern Leaf cut in. "Time up!" she called. "You won't get that much time in a battle."

 _Typical!_ she thought, annoyed. _We can never sought things out!_

Black Ear snorted. "We've got no chance now," he hissed in frustration.

Silver Stripe glanced at White Tail. She nodded to him, letting him know that she would follow his plan, despite not knowing it. White Tail began stalking around Gorse Fur. Silver Stripe realised he was forming a circle around the tom. She repeated her brother's movements on her side. Fern Leaf looked on approvingly. Gorse Fur was now at the circle's core.

However, Black Ear insisted on his course of action. As Silver Stripe and White Tail crouched opposite each other, Black Ear let out a huff and pounded towards Gorse Fur, screeching. Not willing to assist their arrogant brother and ruin their own plan, Silver Stripe and White Tail lay in wait.

Gorse Fur had to duck as Black Ear lashed out with a powerful but inaccurate forepaw strike. But Black Ear's overzealous thrust had unbalanced his stance. The black-and-white patched tom was wobbling on his paws.

Seeing this for himself, the experienced gray tabby tom used his thin size to slither like a snake underneath Black Ear's belly. Alarmed, Black Ear's amber eyes flashed – he knew he was exposed. The headstrong tom was unable to recover in time, and Gorse Fur threw his entire body upwards, colliding with Black Ear's uncovered underbelly.

Black Ear was flung onto his side. He crashed onto the dry ground, skidding across the clearing. Though they had disagreed, Silver Stripe was relieved when she heard Black Ear let out an annoyed hiss. _That must mean he's alright._

Satisfied that Black Ear's flawed plan had hopelessly failed, she let out a slight grin. Still, as Gorse Fur was staring at Black Ear, Silver Stripe's light blue eyes met the anxious gaze of White Tail. Silver Stripe presumed that seeing Black Ear get thrown across the clearing had frightened her edgy brother. She gave him a reassuring nod of the head. He nodded back, fresh confidence sparking in his golden-glinted amber eyes.

Instinctively, the two siblings knew what to do. Even though her pads were throbbing, she gritted her teeth and joined White Tail in their dart towards Gorse Fur. Startled by the unexpected thudding of paws, Gorse Fur glanced in both directions. His ears twisted in both directions, trying to figure out what to do – it was useless. He was surrounded. Unable to move in time, he braced himself for impact, trying too late to grip his claws into the sun-baked, parched ground.

Both Silver Stripe and White Tail threw themselves onto the gray tabby tom's back. Gorse Fur struggled, lashing out in random directions, attempting to fling them off. However, the heavier combined weight of the two littermates was too much for the thin tom, forcing him to the floor.

"I submit," Gorse Fur puffed, trapped underneath their pelts and winded in breath.

As they got off Gorse Fur, Silver Stripe shared a victorious look with White Tail. Her brother appeared more confident, his shoulders squared boldly. She was glad their outwitting of Black Ear had improved White Tail's self-confidence. Downwind of them, Black Ear shook his head in disbelief, unwilling to admit that his plan had been wrong.

"Well done!" praised Fern Leaf, her green eyes glowing. "Well, to you two anyway. It was exactly what I wanted you to do." She turned to Black Ear, who was staggering to his paws. "Why didn't you follow your littermates?" the older black she-cat questioned.

"Err…" Black Ear stammered, searching for an answer.

Sympathy stemmed from Silver Stripe. Black Ear was groggily positioned on his paws. _Perhaps he is hurt,_ she worried. _He doesn't normally struggle to speak up._ But, as she recalled what her brother said earlier, Silver Stripe's sympathy faded, vanishing into the tense air. _He's my brother – but he needs to learn to listen to others for once in his life._

Gorse Fur padded over to Black Ear. "The Clan knows you three like to argue, but, Black Ear, you should have gone along with your siblings' plans," he intervened. "It was the safest and most correct option. Sometimes speed isn't everything."

Black Ear glanced over at his littermates. Maybe there was a shade of apology in his amber eyes. "You're right," he conceded. The assertive tom hung his head, and he was, for the tiniest heartbeat, ashamed of his ignorance.

"Don't be so down heartened," Gorse Fur encouraged him. "It's only one defeat. You'll have plenty of battles left to face."

Black Ear's head lifted, renewed boastfulness lit up his face.

"If that had been a proper battle, you could have gripped your claws into the ground. It would have stopped me from powering up from under you so easily," he advised. "You were unlucky," the older tom nodded approvingly. "Next time, just think out your options more," he advised.

Silver Stripe sighed. Black Ear gave her and White Tail a rebellious, undefeated stare. _Typical, Black Ear. Why am I not surprised?_ Even so, she shook her head, suppressing a _mrrow_ of laughter. _I wouldn't change that hare-brain for the world!_

"Right!" Fern Leaf was looking at them all. "Let's go again. This time learn from your mistakes. That goes to every single one of you!" the heavily-scarred black she-cat announced.

The four cats, with Fern Leaf awaiting their next moves and instructing them, trained long into the day, exhausting every fibre, sinew, and muscle inside their bodies. The humid weather sapped and drained their energy, but Silver Stripe soaked it all in. She, and every one of her Clanmates, knew it was to stop the dogs. It all had a purpose, to avenge Jagged Peak's death and protect their treasured Clan.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:  
** That was a much longer chapter than I thought it was going to be. Can't believe it's the 2nd longest chapter yet. :P Well, Chapter 15 should definitely be a lot shorter than this one. Though this only took me Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday to do. Probably a regular amount of hours spent. Meh, not too bad. Actually, I'm super glad with it. :P

I enjoyed writing and editing this chapter, and I liked how I split it into the Blaze stuff, then the battle training. :D I hope you continue to like BlazexSilver and that you felt the romance/chemistry was flowing. I certainly like those two; they're pretty cute together. :P Plus, I hoped you found the battle sess authentic, and I loved Black Ear, his attitude and White Tail/Silver Stripe's reactions. White Tail's pretty sweet to write too, tbh. Apart from perhaps Silver Stripe, Black Ear and White Tail have stand out personalities, which is pretty cool, especially to how they've developed so far, particularly White Tail. :D

Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Plus as Silver Stripe's reached +20k words, so far, who is your favourite character in my FanFic? It can be either someone I've created, an original DotC character, or someone I've developed more. Feel free to give me your opinion. Thanks again! Comments regardless of size are always met with my gratitude!

Ooh, btw, Sun Shadow's arc hasn't been forgotten. :P He's next!  
 **3,837 words / 23,565 words for Silver Stripe's PoV / 45,563 total  
-UKEAGLECLAW-**

 **Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out my DA, Twitters & Wattpad at UKEagleclaw .**


	17. Chapter 15

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON  
CHAPTER 15**

 _As soon as the moon started_ to glow in the sky, Sun Shadow hurried to his nest. Eager to meet his father, Moon Shadow, he laid down, resting his chin on his paws. Excitement rippled through his body, keeping him awake. He wondered what his father would teach him. _More battle moves? More hunting techniques? More knowledge?_ His mind kept on going, preventing him from falling asleep. But, after what seemed like forever, sleep tugged at his pelt and his eyes flicked shut.

Blinking open his eyes, he was greeted by starlight, and then it faded into pineland woods. Sun Shadow was relaxed, as the following fragrances rung against his senses: damp air flared into his nostrils, and the mud under his paws felt soft and wet, it was in complete comparison to the humid air and dry mud that ShadowClan territory in the waking world had been used to recently.

A similar looking slender jet-black tom with touches of stars across his features stood a short number of paces away. The dark blue eyes of his father shone as Sun Shadow briskly moved towards him. "Greetings, my son," Moon Shadow welcomed, keeping still. "Are you ready for your training?"

Sun Shadow swiftly nodded. "Yes, father."

Moon Shadow's whiskers twitched, and there was the smallest hint of alarm in his expression, as if he had scented something. "Follow me," Moon Shadow suddenly ordered. Crinkling his nose, he led Sun Shadow down the beginning of a starlit path.

Using tougher trails, they crisscrossed through the starry forest that were covered in countless bushes and shrubs. Determined, Sun Shadow gritted his teeth, keeping quiet and focusing on following his father. He presumed the tougher terrain was to test his stamina and endurance.

Moon Shadow stopped before a paw-trodden trail that glimmered with specks of stars. The older tom lifted his tail, as a sign for Sun Shadow to stop as well. Consequently, Moon Shadow hissed over his shoulder, "Get down!" The StarClan member crouched low into a patch of bracken.

Instantly, Sun Shadow replicated Moon Shadow's actions. Sun Shadow, through patches of bracken, could just about make out a small gray tabby tom and a brown tabby she-cat with blue, rain-coloured eyes. The two star shining cats continued to stride by, not noticing them hidden in the shady pineland. Their jet-black pelts had become one with the shadows. Mystified, Sun Shadow thought, _Why would Moon Shadow want to hide from the other StarClan cats?_

They ventured onto the other side of the trail, but not before Moon Shadow had glanced cautiously to both sides of the path. On the opposite side, the trees had become more like those found in SkyClan territory with thicker and sturdier trunks.

Suspicions of his father were starting to scratch at Sun Shadow. It made him feel like he had to challenge his father: "Moon Shadow," he called from behind his father, "why did we hide from those StarClan cats?" _There was no reason for us to hide._ Sun Shadow clenched his jaw shut, holding back further challenges; he didn't want his father to feel he wasn't appreciating his training.

Moon Shadow halted and slowly turned around. Finally, he responded, "As I've told you before, not every living cat gets to see StarClan. You see, I was worried they'd be jealous of us. StarClan cats might be brave and wise, but it doesn't stop _some_ of us getting jealous."

Sun Shadow nodded, accepting Moon Shadow's answer. His father had no reason to lie to him, and he could see what Moon Shadow meant. Once again, he was reminded of how lucky he was to be able to meet Moon Shadow, whilst still being alive in the waking world. Resolutely, Sun Shadow kept trotting after his father towards their destination.

Moon Shadow led Sun Shadow to a copse of trees; there weren't as many pines, but instead, there were lots of oaks and woodland trees. Moon Shadow came to a halt. "Here we are," he announced. Craning his neck around, Moon Shadow questioned, "Why do you think I've brought you here?"

"Hmm…" Sun Shadow tried to discover an answer but one did not reach him. "I'm not sure," he murmured. "Hunting, perhaps?"

"To some degree, yes," Moon Shadow answered with a hint of his usual fatherly sternness. "Did you know I used to belong to Clear Sky's group of cats?"

Sun Shadow grimly nodded. Grief surged through him as he remembered being told about his father's gruesome death by flame induced injuries. The thought made him lurch on his paws.

Moon Shadow's voice continued to ring in Sun Shadow's pricked ears, "During that time, I learnt how to climb trees. It's a good tool for attacking and surprising your prey and enemies.

Promptly, a thought entered his mind, which Sun Shadow felt he had to ask his father: "If you were in Skystar's group, why aren't you helping SkyClan? Why would you help ShadowClan over them?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Moon Shadow snorted in amusement.

Shrugging his shoulders, Sun Shadow shook his head.

For numerous heartbeats, Moon Shadow remained quiet, dark shades of blue lightening in his eyes. " _You_ ," he finally admitted. "You've got my blood running through you. You can save ShadowClan and the rest. You can stop the darkness."

 _What is the darkness?_ The question crashed back into his mind, but he knew that Moon Shadow would tell him eventually, when he thought his son was ready. Again, it was pushed to the back of his mind. Besides, he wanted to enjoy the company of his father, without the worry of the darkness always hanging over them like a rabble of eagles.

Sun Shadow felt pressurised but also encouraged and reassured by his father's confidence in him. He dipped his head. "I won't let you down," he meowed, surprised by the conviction behind his words.

His father leaned forwards, licking Sun Shadow's ear. "I know you won't. The thought has never crossed my mind," he went on. Moon Shadow let out a brief purr. "I believe in you."

As Moon Shadow returned to his regular posture, Sun Shadow felt a shade of disappointment. The warmth of his father had gone. No more could Sun Shadow feel his tantalizing breath or touch. He knew his father had reverted back to his mentorship attitude and approach. _Back to training… I suppose._ Though Sun Shadow was rapidly able to reinvigorate his mind and body, reminding himself of his Clan and the duty he owed to his Clanmates.

Returning the subject back to where it was previously, Sun Shadow asked, "What's next?" The seriousness of his voice didn't surprise him, but the boldness did.

Moon Shadow let out the slightest grin, pleased by Sun Shadow's confidence and eagerness. "I'm going to teach you how to climb trees."

Sun Shadow closely lagged behind Moon Shadow as his father led him towards a wide oak tree. Sun Shadow waited close to a rounded boulder, whilst Moon Shadow continued his lecture. The older tom stood on his hind legs, putting his forepaws onto the bark. "As you're a beginner, it's best to start off like this," Moon Shadow advised.

Then, with unexpected power, Moon Shadow sprung upwards, using his claws to grip into the bark and heave himself up. His father's similar slender frame became smaller and smaller as he got even higher.

About halfway up the oak tree, Moon Shadow reached a branch and sat there, looking down at Sun Shadow, who was watching observantly. "Dig in your claws!" he instructed from the branch that was high above Sun Shadow's head, shouting to ensure that his son would hear him, "Make sure to balance your weight and spring. If you do those things you'll be fine."

Deep in thought, Sun Shadow padded towards the trunk, recounting his father's swift climb in his mind. He had made it look effortless. But was it really that easy? Copying his father's starting position, he felt his pads touch the solid bark of the oak, but it also felt soft and tender, perfect for climbing. Sun Shadow stood on his hind legs, bunching his muscles, preparing to dart up the tree and up to its branches.

With a strong leap, Sun Shadow shot upwards. Reaching out with a forepaw, he fitted it into a small cranny in the oak's bark. Finding more paw holds, he carefully made his way up the tree. Instinctively, he knew it wasn't good to look down, as it could scare him into submission. Instead, he kept his head locked forwards, letting his eyes scan for the next hold to place his paws into. Slowly and surely, Sun Shadow scrambled up the trunk.

"You've nearly reached me," Moon Shadow called, making Sun Shadow's ears prick. The voice of his father was close to him; Sun Shadow hadn't realised he'd climbed up so far already.

A short time after fitting his paws into several more nooks and crevices, Sun Shadow spotted Moon Shadow, settled on the same branch. He kept on climbing for a dozen more heartbeats. Then, he thrusted out with a forepaw, grasping onto the branch, and with his other available forepaw hurled himself up. Under their combined weight, the branch swayed, as though it was about to collapse.

"You did well," Moon Shadow congratulated, perched on the far end of the branch. "However, I've now got something else in mind. How about a race?"

"Where to?" Sun Shadow accepted, dipping his head.

Moon Shadow pointed his nose straight to the top of the oak tree. "To the highest branch," he meowed. In a questioning tone, he added, "Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Yes, I can," Sun Shadow stated. _I know we're high up, and it'll be dangerous, but I won't let my father down._

"After three heartbeats, then," Moon Shadow decreed.

Both cats readied, tensing. Then, three heartbeats passed. And they leapt onto the trunk, climbing skywards. Sun Shadow used his more youthful and powerful muscles to his advantage and was able to start edging ahead of his father.

All of a sudden, Sun Shadow's ears rapidly flapped back. There was a creaking noise that was followed by a deafening snap. Alarmed, he panicked. _Was Moon Shadow still on the branch?_ As Sun Shadow craned his head around to check, Moon Shadow sped fast, gaining more and more speed up the tree.

But Sun Shadow wasn't paying any attention. He was _so_ high up. The floor looked minuscule, frighteningly so. Also, he could barely see the boulder that had rested near where he stood earlier. He attempted to regain his focus on the task at hand, but he trembled in fear. He gulped; his breathing was becoming more and more fast-paced and urgent.

Questions he'd been wanting to avoid and shelter hit his mind. _How high am I? Can I hold on? What if I fall? Will I stay be alive in the waking world? Or could I be paralysed?_

His head thudded. He tried to concentrate on climbing upwards. But he couldn't. His paws were frozen like ice. The trembling wouldn't stop. Even though he'd been born in the mountains, he hadn't experienced any moments like this. Sun Shadow was petrified beyond his own belief.

"Moon Shadow!" he managed to choke out, his usual seriousness forgotten. His eyes were huge in terror, no longer caring about anything but getting off the tree. "Help me!"

His father had reached the top, and he called down, "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"I can't move my paws!" Sun Shadow screeched back. "I'm stuck!" The last word made him realise how hopeless his situation was. _I really am stranded!_ For the first time, Sun Shadow wished that he would wake up, and he, therefore, could escape this ongoing nightmare.

Moon Shadow moved backwards down the oak tree. As he reached Sun Shadow, he stopped alongside, his eyes wide with concern. "Sun Shadow," he began slowly, "remember that you _can_ do this, okay?"

"Yes." Sun Shadow stopped trembling. As it always did, his father's voice calmed him and his belief in him had improved his own self-confidence.

Moon Shadow looked at him, instructing him to: "Move your paws downwards; one at a time. Make sure that your claws are tight and secure in their holds. Then, carefully and slowly keep on moving. And keep your eyes focused only on the bark."

Knowing he had no other choice unless he woke up, Sun Shadow cautiously descended after Moon Shadow, who led the way slowly down the oak. Overcoming his shock, the closer they came to the bottom, the more belief and confidence Sun Shadow possessed. As they neared the bottom, Sun Shadow's head had stopped thudding and his shivering and trembling had ceased to a tremor. Finally, Sun Shadow was able to feel his paws touch solid ground.

At first, Sun Shadow felt relieved. But then, he was hit by a wave of failure. He must have looked like a scared and tiny kit to his father. Feeling uncomfortable, Sun Shadow started to lick his pelt; he was even more unnerved when he saw that a lot of jet-black tufts were sticking up.

Sun Shadow glanced up. Moon Shadow was standing a couple of tail-lengths away. Sun Shadow was unable to read his father's expression. "I'm sorry," Sun Shadow murmured. "I failed you up there."

Moon Shadow had already began walking towards him. And now, Moon Shadow pressed closer to him, their fur brushing. "You didn't fail me," his father reassured him. "You did well for your first time. And in a way, I expected that you may struggle if you went beyond halfway, but I wanted to see how you'd react to failure. Besides, we'll try again. And you'll be even more experienced for next time," the older jet-black tom finished, proudly gazing at his son.

Sun Shadow blinked, surprised. "Again?"

Could he face climbing up a tree again? Sun Shadow thought back. When climbing the tree, he had enjoyed feeling the air swirl around him and the feeling of being higher than ever before. It was only when he had looked down that the trouble had begun. That the fear and alarm had struck him with full-force. Sun Shadow was undecided, but he didn't want to disappoint Moon Shadow's faith in him. So, he nodded, his head becoming heavy.

Moon Shadow's comforting starry scent wafted over him. "Don't worry," he meowed, attempting to cast out his son's doubts. "Next time, we'll try a smaller tree."

The shock had ceased, and he now felt composed and steadied. Those feelings grew to joy and happiness at being at his father's side. Sun Shadow still retained a faint sadness that this had never happened in the waking world, but this was quickly replaced. He was lucky – very lucky – to even be seeing his father at all.

As heartbeats transcended into something longer, his father's touch and scent started to fade. Particles of starlight dwindled and flashed in his vision; it all signified that he was leaving StarClan's hunting grounds. Moon Shadow's touch had now disappeared, but Sun Shadow could still remember his warm scent, as though it had scorched itself in his mind. Annoyed, Sun Shadow sighed; he would soon wake again, having to again force himself on for another day…

 _Until moonrise. Until sleep calls. Until I see my father again…_

* * *

 **Author's Notes:  
** And don't know if anyone guessed who the two StarClan cats they saw were, but I'll reveal at the end of this notes. Get your guesses ready!

This continues the trend of Sun Shadow's chapters being shorter than the rest. Though I don't mind as it gives Sun Shadow's chapters an identity as the shorter chapters. :P I'm happy with this chapter, and I felt it didn't need to be any longer at all, since it was only focused on two characters. Plus, I thought my description for the climbing was good as well. :D I'm surprised and happy that it managed to get into the mid 2,000s, tbh, and I prefer having some shorter chapters so it varies the pace, particularly since the last chapter was near 4k. And I thought it would be good for Moon Shadow to teach Sun Shadow some of the tree climbing trees he probably picked up with Skystar in SkyClan. Also, if you read the Prologue, it's not a surprise that Moon Shadow wanted to hide from his comrades. :P So yeah, I hope you enjoyed them bond more and etc. It also seems like everyone wants to race at the moment, doesn't it. :P

Overall, I very much hope you enjoyed this chapter, and you'll keep on joining me as I write them. I wanted to get Chapter 17 done (halfway point-ish) before I go on holiday on Thurday, but I probably won't be able to get that far, mainly because I felt ill on Fri/Sat/Sun and didn't feel focused enough to do any writing. I'll try my best to at least get C16 out, though, as really I don't know how active I'll be once I'm on holiday for just over 2 weeks. Although, my chapter average is normally 4 a month, so I've done very well so far. :D

Btw, the cats were Jagged Peak and Rainswept Flower. After reading The Sun Trail and some of Thunder Rising, I'm pretty sure that Rainswept Flower must have had a crush on him, so I'm saying they're now both good friends in StarClan.

Anyhow, thanks for reading, and I hope you're having a nice day! As always, any comments/questions/speculation are always appreciated!  
 **2,567 words / 7,137 words for Sun Shadow's PoV / 48,130 total  
-UKEAGLECLAW-**

 **Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out my DA, Twitters & Wattpad at UKEagleclaw .**


	18. Chapter 16

**RISE OF THE CLANS #1: SCARLET MONSOON**  
 **CHAPTER 16**

 _Another humid day was coming to_ its end as the sun dropped behind the surrounding hills. Meanwhile, the moon had neared its peak. The sky would soon turn black and glow with stars. Naturally, it didn't take much longer for this to happen, blue transforming into darker shades and then to black.

Stars began to glitter in the darkened sky as down below Silver Stripe's Clanmates went off to sleep in their nests, apart from the boundary guards. Eventually, Storm Pelt, who had been at her side since they'd eaten, went to sleep. Retiring to his nest, the mottled gray tom's blue eyes fell shut, and he positioned himself into a sleeping pose.

When Silver Stripe was absolutely certain that Storm Pelt was fast asleep, she let out a huge sigh of relief, running her paws through specks of sand and stalks of grass. She liked him, but Storm Pelt's obvious warmth and affection for her was starting to get on her nerves. Her mind hadn't changed; she still only considered him as a close and valued friend.

On that note, she recollected that she still hadn't told him about her and Blaze. _He doesn't compare to how I feel about Blaze,_ Silver Stripe reflected. _This would all be simpler if he didn't feel as strongly as he does._

Blaze sparked more strongly into her thoughts, the bright ginger tom scorching like a burst of flame into her mind. Her paws fizzed with energy. _Soon, I'll get to see him again!_

She rose to her paws, flicking her head around camp, checking to make sure that no other cats lay awake. The camp guards would still be around, but she had grown accustomed to sneaking past them with ease.

Every cat remained cosily asleep in their mossy nests as Silver Stripe slowly padded into the dirtplace tunnel. Her ears flicked back and forth, as did her whiskers, attentive in case any cats were following her.

As she left the dirtplace tunnel behind her, she grimaced. Prey bones littered the ground, though the scent of pungent dirt was a lot worse. Forcing back the bile that rose in her throat, as she always did, she stumbled onwards, trying to put the smells out of her mind.

Silver Stripe went along the camp's gorse barrier, carefully setting her paws down, aware that some of her Clanmates could be sleeping on the other side. Gradually, she worked her way round to the camp's entrance. Luckily, the dirt from the dirtplace area would mask her smell to the camp's guard.

Under the moon's shining shafts of light, Silver Stripe could make out a gray tabby tom, his amber eyes reflected small dots of light. It didn't take her much longer to recognise her Clanmate's scent: Dust Muzzle. The tom diligently protected the gorse tunnel, his amber gaze eyeing the surrounding ridge.

She remained in the barrier's shadow, watching Dust Muzzle and trying to think of a way to distract him. _This might not be so easy,_ she mused, concentrating. Surprisingly, Dust Muzzle wrinkled his nose, perhaps wondering what the sharp, pungent dirt was. Worried about being discovered, Silver Stripe urgently withdrew backwards.

In her immediate panic, one of her paws touched a small rock. It then skidded across a patch of ground, its sound thudding in Silver Stripe's ears. Startled, she quickly retreated behind a huge boulder, praying that Dust Muzzle wouldn't discover her. She had seen the tom's ears flap in the sound's direction, and he had begun to pad over.

Her hackles raised but she tried to keep them pinned down as Dust Muzzle called out, "Is anyone there?"

Silver Stripe kept her jaw clenched shut. Silent as a concealed mouse, she tensed, keeping still and lowering the sound of her breathing. Rigid with dread, she waited for Dust Muzzle to come to his own conclusion about the mysterious noise.

She was able to hear his tail sweep clumsily along the floor, and she heard him remark: "I must be hearing things."

Clinging to the side of the boulder, Silver Stripe glanced around its pale gray surface. Seeing the back of the striped tom, she realised that this was her chance. Without hesitation, Silver Stripe plunged up the slope, darting up it as quickly as she could. She was more exposed, meaning the fastest, the better. Air tried to hold her back as she raced up the grassy incline.

Once she was at the top of the ridge that wrapped around camp, Silver Stripe stared back down. Dust Muzzle was still padding back to his post. Massive amounts of relief flooded through her, loosening her posture. _Yes, I made it._

Turning around, she left the sandy hollow behind her. Instead, she bounded onto the sweeping moors that her Clan reigned over. Anticipation flowed through her as she eagerly sprinted away to meet Blaze, aware that she was already late.

 **\- SCENEBREAK -**

"Silver Stripe!" Blaze exclaimed, his eyes round like the twinkling moon above. Joy was clear in his tone. She briskly padded towards him, curling her tail around his, and they touched noses.

"Sorry I'm late," Silver Stripe told him. "I couldn't risk being seen."

"It's okay," murmured Blaze, his ears flicking. "You're here now."

"Is there something wrong?" she asked the bright ginger tom.

"Well," Blaze began to explain, "I've got something to show you." His expression grew more positive and self-assured. "I think it might help your Clan against the dogs."

Her jaw gaped in amazement. "What is it?" Silver Stripe asked, her light blue eyes widening with interest. Had Blaze somehow uncovered a way to stop the dogs? She was glad if he had found a cure for the violent brutes, as it would avoid a battle that would certainly endanger the lives of her Clanmates.

Hoping he had found something useful, Silver Stripe followed Blaze to the edge of a prickly nettle thicket; it wasn't far from where they had been standing. "I hope we're not going through there," she joked.

"Don't worry we're not," he purred back. Then, Blaze paused. It looked like he was delving for something underneath the nettle thicket. When he stepped back, Silver Stripe could hear a paw shifting something light along the ground as Blaze meowed, "Here it is."

Blaze's bright ginger forepaw dragged in front of him a wide waxy leaf package; something was visibly enclosed inside. Blaze bent down and nipped the top. The package unfurled. And Silver Stripe became frozen in shock and surprise. Vile dark crimson berries rested in the middle of the waxy leaf. _Deathberries!_

Purely astonished, Silver Stripe stared in disbelief at Blaze. "You can't be serious?" she meowed, her voice turning to a nervous hiss.

The small but sinister blood-red berries lay in front of Blaze's paws. "Why not?" he calmly responded.

"They're deathberries!" she spat, still struggling with shock. "Those berries are poisonous! Too dangerous!" she growled. "They can kill a cat!"

"That is why it's not a bad idea!" Blaze exclaimed. "If deathberries are able to kill a full-sized cat, why not a dog? It's a good chance to save your Clan from them without any bloodshed!"

Understanding dawned on Silver Stripe, however, she still felt wary of these evil berries. She remembered being warned about how dangerous their toxic juices were by Moth Flight; it made her realise: "But we're not medicine cats. We don't know how to handle them. It could poison us, and we wouldn't even realise until it was too late!"

"What's the alternative?" he asked. Then, Blaze softly pressed against her, his deep blue eyes staring convincingly at her. "You've told me about Jagged Peak. About how he was brutally killed by those brutes. But the dogs aren't clever. And this is a solution that avoids anymore of your Clanmates getting hurt," Blaze meowed. He sounded so innocent, unaware of how deadly and vicious the dogs really were. "You know that this is a good idea. It could save the lives of your Clanmates. It could avoid a fight that more of your friends and kin could die in? Come on, Silver Stripe, isn't it at least worth a try to stop them?"

Silver Stripe took in a long breath and thought for a moment. She remembered Jagged Peak's battered body, how could she or anyone forget? It was horrifically scarred and ripped to shreds to such an extreme point that the body had become unrecognisable. The gruesome memory made her feel weak on her paws. Disgust hit her, and she started to feel fresh grief well up inside of her.

Blaze distracted her trance. "I'm sorry," he apologised. "I'm pushing you too much. It's your Clan, not mine." He gave her a friendly look. "It's entirely your choice." The bright ginger tom shuffled his paws. "I just wanted to do something to help," he added, looking down at the falsely innocent looking berries.

She shook her head to clear away bad memories. "Okay," Silver Stripe accepted, nodding her head. "I suppose it's worth a try." _But what would Windstar say?_ she pondered. Pretty confident that Windstar wouldn't allow such a bold plan by an unknown loner, she meowed, "I'm not sure Windstar would like it too much. It's probably best not to tell her about it, and I'm not sure she'd think too highly of our meetings either."

Blaze gratefully dipped his head. "Whatever you say," he encouraged her. "And I've scented the dogs around the barn," he gladly stated, sharing the knowledge with Silver Stripe.

 _Good,_ Silver Stripe thought. _I'll have to get on a patrol and lead them that way, and it'll mean Windstar can send more patrols that way and watch over that specific area more tightly._

"Anyway," Blaze continued, "we can discuss the plan more tomorrow." His voice rose to a purr, "We've got better things to be doing than worrying about those big brutes."

Her own purr joined his. "You're right," Silver Stripe agreed with Blaze. _We should do our best to enjoy these nights, not be worrying about the dogs._

Tails closely twinned together, Silver Stripe and Blaze casually padded away. The two cats were relaxed and comforted by the other's warmth. Knowing they had all night, they walked leisurely into the distance, letting their paws randomly guide them.

They both yearned for Blaze to fully join her in WindClan, where they could avoid the secrecy, but it made her relish his midnight companionship even more. Silver Stripe knew every heartbeat with Blaze mattered.

Out of the blue, a brief promise formed in her mind: _One day, I'll find the courage to ask Windstar, regardless of the Clan's concern over those mangy hounds. I just hope no one will be mad at me when I do…_

Bright ginger and pale gray tabby pelts blemished the landscape, but they were mainly disguised among the night's dark shadows, hidden among patches of heather and gorse and rolling hills. Sometimes, they left this safety, preferring to feel the soaking shine of the moon's rays as it illuminated their coats to more radiant shades. With his good-natured curiosity and her adventurous prompting, the two companions ventured across WindClan's hunting grounds.

She desired to show Blaze every tail-length of the territory. So, they rediscovered the moorland that rested the biggest distance away from camp, ranging to its farthest reaches and depths. They both wanted to explore every possible kind of chink, cleft, crack, cranny, and crevice with the other. Only strong-smelling prey or a sharp-sighted eagle could have noticed them.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:  
** This is a much shorter chapter than usual, especially for Silver Stripe, her shortest yet  & 3rd shortest overall. I'm used to Silver Stripe's chapters being longer, so it feels quite weird. Although, I'm happy I've managed to do this much today as I was trying to do some of this yesterday and I was struck massively with block. :D

Also, I wanted to get one more chapter out before I leave for Cyprus (holiday), because I have no idea how much I'm going to be able to write/publish etc. Plus, I obviously want to be enjoying the holiday over any writing I do. So, like I said, I honestly have no clue if I'll write much or whatever. I mean, tbh, I'll probably be on a beach a fair bit, so I might try to do some writing on my phone then, regardless it'll need editing, perhaps more so. One thing I probably will do is to read over the FanFic myself and its entirety and just overview my progress. Anyway, in conclusion, I don't know if anything I'll be released for the next 2 weeks or so. Heh, at least I've warned ya. :P

Plus, this is unrelated to Warriors but I'm heavily thinking about writing a FanFic on Shadow The Hedgehog as I've been really getting into the Sonic franchise since about March of this year. I wrote like 800 words on a random bit last night, and I was very happy with it. In case anyone's interested, it'll likely be just something that follow Shadow's life, a fiction version of a biography of sorts, I suppose. :P If I start that up, it may affect how much I'll write for this. However, I feel it would also be good to write a FanFic on another franchise to build more experience and improve my writing ability etc. Plus, I'm not going to lie, Shadow's probably one of my favourite all-time characters at the moment, which heightens my desire to write something as a tribute to him. :D So follow me on one of my sites (will probably upload on ) if you want updates. :)

Oh yeah, I'm really happy I've reached 50,000 words! & 25,000 words for Silver Stripe's PoV. Big milestones for me, especially 50k total. Therefore, massive thanks to anyone who reads and finds this enjoyable reading. It feels weird to have written that many words. :P Tbh, if I get to 100k I'll definitely find that unreal. It's actually possible as this is around the halfway point, however, I think I'll end up just short. :P

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this shorter chapter & big thanks for reading! ^Hope all those notes didn't bore you too much. I'll say it's to make up for such a shorter chapter than usual. :P And any feedback is always appreciated! :)  
 **1,926 words / 25,491 words for Silver Stripe's PoV / 50,056 total  
-UKEAGLECLAW-**

 **Did you enjoy reading my FanFic? Then feel free to check out my DA, Twitters & Wattpad at UKEagleclaw .**


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